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December 29, 2003 - January 04, 2004

News for Jan. 04, 2004

Tolkien and the Great war Review

1/04/04, 6:51 pm EST - Xoanon

For anyone who has read "The Lord of the Rings," or seen Peter Jackson's magnificent film adaptations, the last installment of which is in a multiplex near you, it is startlingly apparent that J.R.R. Tolkien's great work is consumed with war and battle. Though set in a mythical, far-off place in a time long ago, Tolkien's books nonetheless have an eerie feel for distinctly modern terrors. [More]

Order your copy of 'Tolkien and the Great War : The Threshold of Middle-earth' today!

'Rings' Leads Box Office for Third Weekend

1/04/04, 6:47 pm EST - Xoanon

In a relatively quiet weekend at the North American box office with no new wide releases, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" held the No. 1 slot for a third round with ticket sales of $30.8 million, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. Since its release, the film has earned $677 million worldwide, including $292 million from North America, where it is tracking 12 percent ahead of where its predecessor, "The Two Towers" was at the same time last year. [More]

Movies.com Talks Book Adaptations

1/04/04, 6:44 pm EST - Xoanon

Hobbithalcomb writes: Movies.com has a list of the top ten book adaptations of all time and guess what trilogy's first installment is on the list? [More]

A&E Has Breakfast with ROTK Castmembers

1/04/04, 6:40 pm EST - Xoanon

LordofLorien writes: A&E's 'Breakfast with the Arts' show will be featuring a special all about ROTK. The show will include the cast and crew of LOTR including director Peter Jackson. The show airs next Sunday Jan 11th at 8am ET/PT. [More]

Film rights wrangle may kill off The Hobbit

1/04/04, 6:38 pm EST - Xoanon

A wrangle over the film rights to The Hobbit could wreck plans for a prequel to the blockbusting Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is desperate to complete his masterpiece with one final film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's first book. [More]

SHOP: Last day for Sideshow/Weta Sale

1/04/04, 2:01 pm EST - Calisuri

Today is the last day for the 25% off select LOTR polystone statues at SideshowWeta.com. All of these items are considered 'retired' and will no longer be produced. [Click Here]

Don't get up, folks

1/04/04, 10:05 am EST - maegwen

The Miami Herald has an amusing short article about the "multiple" endings of ROTK. [More]

News for Jan. 03, 2004

Shelob VS Spider-Man

1/03/04, 11:43 pm EST - Xoanon

Lord Jubjub crunches some numbers for us: Speaking only for the US Box Office. Spiderman hit $300M on its 22nd day. If three day projections hold, ROTK will hit $290M+ on Sunday (Day 19). Expecting at least $5M a day for Monday and Tuesday should mean that ROTK will set a record for fastest to $300M. I didn't think $400M was really possible, but it looks like it has a chance of beating Spiderman and becoming the highest grossing movie in the 21st century.

Media Watch: People Magazine Talks Bloom

1/03/04, 11:40 pm EST - Xoanon

TimeWarrior sends in this small article from the latest issue of People Magazine. [More]

Woman's Day Magazine Interviews Otto

1/03/04, 11:25 pm EST - Xoanon

The December issue of Woman's Day Magazine has this article on Miranda Otto. [More]

Orlando Bloom ALA Read Poster

1/03/04, 11:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Orlando Bloom ALA READ poster brings adventure to the library. The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that Orlando Bloom, breakout star of the blockbuster Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, is the newest celebrity READ poster for January 2004. Orlando joins the famous READ series to advocate for libraries, literacy, and reading. [More]

Mad Magazine Goofs on ROTK

1/03/04, 11:07 pm EST - Xoanon

Anborn1 writes: Mad's January issue has a salute to ROTK called "Mad's Epic Outtakes from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". Some of these are really funny - my fave is the one about the Chicago Cubs fan and Frodo. [More]

Ted Nasmith Exhibition in Santa Fe

1/03/04, 8:01 pm EST - Xoanon

archimeaties writes: I just wanted to tell TORn and fans about a very neat gallery I went to today. It's called Chalk Farm Gallery and is featuring art by Tolkien artsist Ted Nasmith. I was surprised by the sheer amount of his paintings on display; one can spend a decent amount of time looking at them all. [More]

Andy Serkis Misses Chicago Stop

1/03/04, 7:53 pm EST - Xoanon

Telcontar writes: I regret being the bearer of bad news, but I was just told by an employee at Borders Bookstore that Andy Sirkis will NOT be making an appearance on January 13, 2004, as had been announced. Apparently there was a scheduling conflict, and he will be on the West Coast on that day. News of a later appearance will be forwarded once we know of any details.

What more does Jackson want, asks Cullen

1/03/04, 7:51 pm EST - Xoanon

The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has attacked the government for exaggerating its film-making tax breaks. Oscar-tipped Jackson singled out deputy prime minister Dr Michael Cullen, saying that he'd allowed the overstating of The Lord of the Rings deal to "give tax breaks a bad name". "I do know how much the tax breaks were - although I'm not allowed to really talk about it - but it's a minute fraction of the $200m that keeps getting bandied about," Jackson said. "To me, that figure is . . . ludicrous and irresponsible. Cullen knows it's not true and yet he's been capitalising on that figure as being a bad thing for New Zealanders." [More]

Fancy Yourself a Ringmaker?

1/03/04, 6:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Now YOU can play Sauron and make The One Ring on your very computer! Use Photoshop and follow these instructions, have fun! [More]

'King' Sitting Comfortably on Box Office Throne

1/03/04, 6:49 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Expect deja vu all over again at the box office this New Year's weekend. No new wide releases are out to challenge the status quo, so New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," is fated to remain the most popular attraction. [More]

After 'Rings,' Astin up for next big thing

1/03/04, 6:46 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES - Now that his long labor on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is ending, you'd think Sean Astin would be ready for a break. Instead, he's hoping for a new grind, more like the one that gripped "Rings" director Peter Jackson. [More]

Sean Astin: From Hobbit to He-Man

1/03/04, 2:40 pm EST - Xoanon

A funny thing happened after Sean Astin wrapped his grueling two-year Lord of the Rings tour of duty: He lightened up — mentally and physically — for his role in the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore's comedy 50 First Dates. [More]

Ethan Hawke Geeks Out on Conan

1/03/04, 2:38 pm EST - Xoanon

Jason writes: Last night on Conan O'Brian Ethan Hawke spent his entire time on the couch praising the Lord of the Rings films and how he is an avid reader of the books and an admirer of professor Tolkien. The interview was very funny, and although I like David Wenham, it did make me wonder how Ethan would have been in that role (rumors ran abound years ago that Ethan and his then-wife Uma Thurman would play Faramir and Eowyn).

TV Watch: Orlando Bloom on ET

1/03/04, 2:30 pm EST - Xoanon

Celevon writes: Entertainment Tonight was promoting an interview with Orlando Bloom for next Monday, January 5th. Fans should check local listings for air time in their area.

LPO Concert with Howard Shore!

1/03/04, 2:24 pm EST - Xoanon

On May 23rd 2004 The London Philharmonic Orchestra, featured on the soundtrack to the LOTR Trilogy and Academy award-winning conductor and composer Howard Shore bring the magic of the Lord of the Rings to the heart of London. You will be taken on a musical and imaginative journey from the tranquillity of the Shire to the horror of Mordor and the explosive Mount Doom. The Royal Festival Hall will never seem the same again! [Tickets]

FOTR/TTT Screening in Oz

1/03/04, 2:19 pm EST - Xoanon

Andrew writes: The Astor Theatre in Melbourne will be screening TTT on Thurs. & Fri Jan. 8&9, followed by ROTK on Friday January 23rd with a starting time of 7:30Pm for both films. It will be screened on the Superscreen which is pretty massive in DTS Digital sound. Astor is at 1 Chapel Street Prahran, Melbourne and is a beautiful art deco film palace dating back to the 1930's (state of the art screening technology though!!!). [astor-thatre.com]

Ringer Fans Seen on UK Promo Ad

1/03/04, 2:05 pm EST - Xoanon

greendragon writes: I just wanted to let you know that there's an ad on tv here in the UK for RotK, and believe it or not, I'm in it! Yes, a TORnsib in a RotK ad! [More]

Happy Birthday JRR Tolkien

1/03/04, 1:54 pm EST - Tookish

Media Watch: UK's Sunday Express LOTR Special

112 years ago today, the late great Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born. On behalf of your fans around the world, male and female, young and old, we raise our mugs and toast your spirit, your life, and your great good works.

LOTR: A Source-Criticism Analysis

1/03/04, 1:51 pm EST - Xoanon

Mark Shea writes: I just published "The Lord of the Rings: A Source-Criticism Analysis" in the January 2004 issue of Crisis Magazine. It's a bit of satire aimed at some of the goofier and more over-confident tendencies in biblical source-criticism. I think many of your readers will find it amusing. [More]

Variety.com Talks Oscars

1/03/04, 1:46 pm EST - Xoanon

Salvia writes: While it's not official and the editor insists it has nothing to do with likely Ocsar voting, this variety.com poll has a number of RotK participants well in the game for "Best of" with PJ and the RotK dominating in their categories. Most happily to my eyes is the Supporting Actor category. How nice to finally acknowledge a second actor (after Sir Ian in FotR) in an excellent 20+ person ensemble. [More]

ROTK Claims top New Year's Day Take Ever

1/03/04, 12:35 pm EST - Calisuri

According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, The Return of the King claims the number one all-time spot for a New Year's Day gross at the box office. As it turns out, all three LOTR films make the top 5 list, with TTT in second and FOTR in fourth. [More]

11:15 AM PST - BRAVO - Making of ROTK

1/03/04, 11:35 am EST - Calisuri

A 15 minute show on the making of the Return of the King will air on BRAVO at 11:15 am PST. Unfortunately it looks like this information comes to late for East Coasters! (Many hobbits were left behind to send us this information) Check your local listings for exact channel and air time. [More]

Hall Of Fire Chats This Weekend

1/03/04, 12:10 am EST - Frode

Having seen 'The Return of the King' we must of course take a closer look at Viggo Mortensens Aragorn. Does the King really return for this movie? Is Strider the Ranger cast aside and Aragorn, King of the Re-United Kingdom, revealed?[More]

News for Jan. 02, 2004

ROTK in Entertainment Weekly

1/02/04, 11:34 pm EST - maegwen

Return of the King made numerous appearances in the Jan 9th 2004 edition of Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Check them out! [More]

Meduseld, the Gingerbread Hall

1/02/04, 10:30 pm EST - maegwen

Ringers Rosie and Sam of Atlanta write: Before the season slips too far away, we thought some of the TORN readers might enjoy the attached photos of a gingerbread house we constructed for a Return of the King party shortly after the movie released. [More] Yummy! And very cool...

Tolkien Birthday Toast 2004

1/02/04, 9:54 pm EST - maegwen

The Tolkien Society is once again sponsoring a world-wide Toast to the Professor in honor of the anniverary of his birth: On January 3rd Tolkien fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this much loved author at 21:00 ("9 pm") GMT.

For more information on the toast, and toasting traditions in general, visit the Tolkien Society's site. [More]

Santa Barbara Film Festival

1/02/04, 9:46 pm EST - maegwen

Susan writes in to say: Tickets for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Modern Masters award program featuring Peter Jackson are now on sale at Ticketmaster. The event is scheduled for January 31st at 7:30 p.m., and are $35.00. [Tickets]

Lord of the Rings Research Project

1/02/04, 9:30 pm EST - maegwen

We have posted about this before, but it is of interest and is thus repeated: The University of Aberystwyth (Wales) is conducting a project examining response to the Lord of the Rings films. If you are interested in participating, or in learning more, check out their site. [More]

Return of the King Valentine's cards

1/02/04, 9:21 pm EST - maegwen

Ringer Spy Nobby Nees writes: I was down at the local Wal-Mart today and they already had some ROTK Valentine's cards out. I couldn't help but pick up a box :) I couldn't scan in the cards themselves (the holofoil plays havoc with my scanner) but I think they are pretty easy to see on the box. [More]

I wonder who you send a Denethor card of "Good Cheer" to?

Free ROTK Screening in Los Angeles

1/02/04, 7:42 pm EST - Quickbeam

Greetings, Quickbeam here. The Broadcast Film Critics' Association is hosting a film festival that includes ROTK in their 10 BEST FEST. All you Ringer fans in L.A., click here and follow the instructions if you want to attend the showing tomorrow, Sat. 3 January at 6PM. Check out the other films too! Rumor tells us that ROTK cast/crew might even be there for a live Q&A session (we don't know for sure who). Put "ROTK" in your email subject line when you request tickets. You may need to be an MSN or Hotmail user to access the above links.

TV Watch: Peter Jackson on 'GMA'

1/02/04, 1:02 pm EST - Xoanon

Bridgette writes: I wanted to let you know that Peter Jackson will be live on ABC's "Good Morning America," Friday, January 9th.

A voyage in search of the real Middle Earth

1/02/04, 12:57 pm EST - Xoanon

A new documentary explores the real places in Lancashire that inspired The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The county's lush green hills and woods, and host of wildlife, gave author JRR Tolkien a setting for his famous fictional works. Pendle Hill, in the Ribble Valley, is believed to be at the centre of JRR Tolkien's mystical world, Middle Earth. [More]

'Rings' films taint the beloved books

1/02/04, 12:54 pm EST - Xoanon

Deborah P. Jacobs writes: We live in a forgiving age. If in recent years we have reconsidered the sins of figures such as Richard Nixon and Marv Albert, the time has certainly come for a reevaluation of Gollum. Sure, it's hard to cuddle up to someone who tears live fish apart with his fingers, but he's not all bad. [More]

Great expectations

1/02/04, 12:52 pm EST - Xoanon

In the full-court press of postmodern marketing, one might wonder if any event or person or piece of art could possibly live up to its hype. Hard-sell media saturation can boost hopes to the stratosphere only to crash into disappointment when one finally confronts the real thing. [More]

Wall Street Journal Goes Geek

1/02/04, 12:51 pm EST - Xoanon

Noelani writes: The first page of today's Money and Investing section of the Wall Street Journal has two Middle Earth themed headlines: "Markets Provide a Long-Awaited Party" and the subhead for Ahead Of the Tape - Today's Market Forecast: "A View into the Palantir". More proof that Tolkien and PJ and co. have created and propagated THE myth for our times.

New Poll For Best Trilogy

1/02/04, 12:48 pm EST - Xoanon

Farscry writes: wizarduniverse.com is running a poll for the greatest movie trilogy. TheForce.net has already sent Star Wars fans scrambling to vote, and that trilogy is now in the lead over the Lord of the Rings. Fellow Ringers, let's set the record straight! Go vote now for the new benchmark in movie excellence! [More]

Amazon.com: TTT:EE DVD is #1

1/02/04, 12:44 pm EST - Xoanon

The editors at Amazon.com have listed their top DVD's of 2003. Guess which film came out on top! [More]

News for Jan. 01, 2004

Happy Birthday JRRT Kennedy 'School' Style

1/01/04, 9:17 pm EST - Tookish

Downfallen West tips Ringers to this neatish event: The McMenamins Kennedy School (an old primary/elementary school converted into a hotel/brewery-pub/restaurant/theater complex) is having a celebration of JRRT's 112th birthday on Saturday. [More]

Tookish's new ROTK review in Green Books!

1/01/04, 9:16 pm EST - Quickbeam

Greetings, Quickbeam here. Please enjoy the wonderful new ROTK film review by Tookish in our monthly magazine for all JRRT enthusiasts: GREEN BOOKS.

We also have film reviews (and non-reviews) by Anwyn -- and Tehanu -- and even myself -- with more coming soon from Ostadan, respected in circles of Tolkien scholarship for over 35 years. Join us as we explore the WORDS and WORLDS of Tolkien.

Modern Master Award for Mr. Jackson!

1/01/04, 9:10 pm EST - Tookish

I know it's biased of me, but may this be one of many for PJ! Thank you Art Gecko for the news. [More]

Time Magazine/.com : RotK is #1

1/01/04, 8:41 pm EST - Tookish

Ringer Shalini reports that Time ranks Return of the King the number one film of 2003: [More]

TNT Knows Drama - LOTR Style - UPDATE

1/01/04, 6:57 pm EST - Calisuri

As a Law & Order addict, I find myself watching TNT quite often and I am used to seeing the TNT-specific 'TNT Knows Drama' commercials. These ads feature L&O cast explaining how Law & Order defines drama. Imagine my surprise when a commercial, in the very same format/style, begins with Peter Jackson! Jackson and some cast and crew (including Sean Astin and Ian McKellen) explain how The Lord of the Rings also defines 'drama.' Thanks to Shawna from BagEndInn.com we have a wmv file to show you! Contact me at calisuri@theonering.net if you have a quicktime version. [WMV download]

Hollywood Heavies Vie for Oscar Gold

1/01/04, 4:39 pm EST - Xoanon

It’s beginning to look a lot like …Oscar season. Forget the tree trimming and Christmas caroling. The season for Hollywood’s highest honor has kicked into high gear. And with the front-runners emerging, the race is shaping up to be highly competitive. Among the potential nominees, there are many high-wattage stars who’ve never taken home a statuette. [More]

Meet JRD In Pasadena, California

1/01/04, 4:32 pm EST - Xoanon

On January 3, 2004 (Pacific Standard Time) NASA's Spirit will bounce to a landing on Mars - just a day after Stardust flies through comet Wild 2. The Planetary Society is offering you a chance to witness all of this and more. John Rhys-Davies is slated to be a special guest on both days. [More]

Boyd Rings It In

1/01/04, 4:27 pm EST - Xoanon

JaySee writes: Billy Boyd appeared on the BBC New Year programme just after the midnight events. He formed part of a UK celebrity singalong, and sung the opening line to the traditional 'Auld Lang Syne' celebration; decked out in his traditional kilt worn at several LOTR premieres.

Silmarillion on 'Best Seller' List

1/01/04, 4:24 pm EST - Xoanon

MrCere writes: The Silmarillion, first published in 1977, is enjoying a healthy stay on the 'Best Sellers' lists. USA today has it listed at #42 this week while it is in Amazon.com's Top 100.

Translating Tolkien

1/01/04, 4:21 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Perheniel writes: In Sweden right now there is an ongoing debate of the new translation of Lord of the Rings. The old translation by Åke Ohlmarks from 1959 was heavily criticised by Tolkien, and hence two experienced translators, neither of whom has read the book in beforehand, are finally making a new version. [More]

The Lord of the Rhymes

1/01/04, 4:14 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy mariane sends along the latest edition og the UK Daily Mail which has this article on Viggo Mortensen. [More]

New York Times ROTK New Year's Ad

1/01/04, 4:10 pm EST - Calisuri

Return of the King New Year's Ad

Today's New York Times contains a Return of the King ad, specifically themed for the New Year. Thanks to Ringer Lee (and his Wife) for the scan! [More]

Carville OUT - Gollum IN

1/01/04, 3:40 pm EST - Calisuri

The Washington Post has published 'THE LIST: What's Out and In for 2004?' Gollum-esque political commentor James Carville is listed as OUT while Gollum is listed as IN. Thanks to Holly for the heads up! [More]

You Could Win A Balrog!

1/01/04, 4:42 am EST - Demosthenes

SideShow/WETA Collectibles is currently running a competition offering a Balrog as the prize. The 13.5 inch tall crouching Balrog Statue was limited to a production run of only 1,000 world-wide and is currently sold out. Entries close January 15. [More]

Oscar Buzz For RoTK

1/01/04, 4:35 am EST - Demosthenes

Ringer Spy PippinSkywalker reports that a major movie analyst from boxoffice.com (she thinks) was on Fox News earlier this evening. Asked who the frontrunners are for the oscars, He named Return of the King as the top seed for Best Picture. He also mentioned Sean Astin as possibility for Best Supporting Actor!

Jackson Ponders End Of His Rings

1/01/04, 4:30 am EST - Demosthenes

Peter Jackson was in an upbeat mood as he began his marathon round of interviews promoting the final, long-awaited chapter in his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sporting his trademark purple t-shirt, khaki shorts [but shoes and socks], Jackson doesn’t quite know whether or not he is really glad that his dream project is at end. [More]

Showing Your Consideration

1/01/04, 4:27 am EST - Demosthenes

A couple more For Your Consideration advertisements from Daily Variety - one for Peter Jackson, the other for Howard Shore. Thanks to Ringer Spies ShelaghC and Bunny of Many Colors for the scans. [One] [Two]

News for Dec. 31, 2003

Neiman Marcus Display Photos

12/31/03, 5:11 pm EST - Xoanon

Neiman Marcus Display Photo
Arwen's Dress

Serinde writes: My partner took these digital photos of the Neiman Marcus display windows, and we tweaked and cleaned them up a bit. We particularly set out to capture fabrics, metalwork, and embroidery details. [More]

Theater Chains Raising Price of Ticket

12/31/03, 3:50 pm EST - Xoanon

NEW YORK - Two major movie theater chains are adding 25 cents to the price of a ticket in the city, pushing the cost of adult admission above the $10 mark for the first time. Loews Cineplex and United Artists began charging $10.25 for an adult's ticket and $6.75 for a child's ticket in the past week as moviegoers crowded theaters for holiday blockbusters such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." [More]

Complete ROTK 'For Your Consideration' Ads

12/31/03, 1:07 pm EST - Xoanon

Complete ROTK 'For Your Consideration' Ads
The Entire ROTK Cast

Frodosam sends along these great scans from various publications with ROTK 'For Your Consideration' Ads. These ads are used to help Oscar voters decide who they should keep in mind when filling out those Oscar ballots. [More]

Lord of the Flies

12/31/03, 12:33 pm EST - Xoanon

Samantha writes: Here's a scan of an article about Dominic Monaghan's strange pets I found while browsing through magazines. [More]

Wireless Firm Rings Up 'King'-Sized Entertainment

12/31/03, 12:16 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Wireless entertainment publisher Jamdat Mobile on Tuesday unveiled a collection of products based on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," extending a series that began with the first movie in the hugely successful trilogy. [More]

Riddles of the Rings resolved

12/31/03, 10:16 am EST - maegwen

Barliman's chatter NerwenArtanis showed us the link to this story in The Daily Telegraph. I happen to think that a friendship rooted in complete trust and which cannot be shaken by the most evil interference is pretty dramatic, but hey -- I'm not a screenwriter. Check it out! [More]

The TORn RoTK Geeky Observation List - Redux

12/31/03, 6:09 am EST - Demosthenes

Remember that observation list? It's back and updated for the first and only time. Thanks to everyone who wrote in - at this point I hand all responsibility for it back to the people on the message boards. ;) [More]

NZ Herald Names Rings Best

12/31/03, 5:47 am EST - Demosthenes

The NZ Herald names RoTK its best film for 2003, but it would have been a lot harder had Whale Rider been in the pot with it. Thanks to Ringer Ataahua for the link. [More]

Time's Best And Worst Movies Of 2003

12/31/03, 5:41 am EST - Demosthenes

End of year - time for those endless lists. Here's Time Magazine's best and worst films of 2003. And the winner is ... [More]

Bound For Glory

12/31/03, 5:32 am EST - Demosthenes

Thanks to Ringer sentiEnt for this link. If actor Billy Boyd is worried about being typecast because of his role as hobbit (Peregrin Took) Pippin he doesn't let it show. Boyd believes that far from being a problem, his participation in Peter Jackson's vision of Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings is likely to be both the role he shall always be remembered for and his calling card for future work. [More]

Orlando Is Coverbound

12/31/03, 5:28 am EST - Demosthenes

Thanks to Ringer Spy Alquawen for these scans of cover boy Orlando Bloom in the latest edition of GQ magazine. [More]

The RoTK Score - What Goes Where

12/31/03, 4:58 am EST - Demosthenes

Ringer Camillu from Malta writes: Just like last year, here's my attempt to make some order of the many cues that make up the latest LOTR score CD. Return of the King, like TTT last year, is mostly suites of music skilfully edited from short cues, but this time they are usually continuous scenes in chronological order. Needless to say, the end result is very satisfying, and a great listen. [More]

Tolkien Society's Big Read Report

12/31/03, 4:50 am EST - Demosthenes

Before Christmas, it was announced that Lord of the Rings had won the BBC's Big Read competition. We reported the news, but here's a report from the Tolkien Society. Last night, I was lucky enough to be at the final (broadcast live) of the BBC's literacy series "The Big Read". I count this a landmark in my life; not quite on a par with my marriage or the birth of my children, but still – you get my drift. [More]

Where the Boys Are

12/31/03, 4:41 am EST - Demosthenes

Philippa Boyens talks to the Village Voice and gives an adult-themed and often amusing dissection of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps she's been reading a bit too much Freud? Warning: This article may not be appropriate for the squeamish or the young. Thanks to Ringer Thylacine 2000 for the link. [More]

The Heart Of The Matter

12/31/03, 4:25 am EST - Demosthenes

What do Tolkien's millions of fans, eccentric or not, know about the guiding force in Tolkien's own life: the Catholic faith that informed everything he wrote? The San Antonio Current pontificates upon the matter. Thanks to Ringer Shadowfax2005 for the link. [More]

Viggo For Batman?

12/31/03, 4:10 am EST - Demosthenes

Old News? I'm not sure. Ringer Santhalas dropped me this link with a rumour that Viggo Mortensen may be being sought to play a part in the next Batman film. [More]

SHOP: Sideshow/Weta End of the Year Sale

12/31/03, 1:50 am EST - Calisuri

Sideshow/Weta Collectibles has announced an end of 2003 sale on select LOTR items, offering 25% off their regular retail price. We have also learned that the Fell Beast and Morgul Lord Statue has officially sold out! (Yeah, me too! I missed out on getting one as well) And the last bit of news is that Sideshow/Weta plans on announcing their ROTK line-up for 2004 in the next few days. [Click Here]

News for Dec. 30, 2003

Film maker proud of mystifying award

12/30/03, 8:09 pm EST - Xoanon

Special effects wizard Richard Taylor confesses to having being mystified when told he had been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year's Honours. "I didn't really understand what it was," said Taylor, who co-owns special effects studios Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, where the Oscar-award winning special effects for the Lord Of The Rings movies were created. [More]

Peter Jackson Conversation Tix available now!

12/30/03, 8:08 pm EST - Xoanon

Liz sends along word she heard from the Lincoln Center: We've got great New Year's news for you -- Tickets have just become available for the Sunday January 11, 2 pm CONVERSATION WITH PETER JACKSON. [More]

Lord of the Rhymes Release 'Black Riders'

12/30/03, 7:54 pm EST - Xoanon

Lord of the Rhymes: Quickbeam and Bombadil
Lord of the Rhymes: Quickbeam and Bombadil

Hobbit rappers and international mega-stars (*cough*) Quickbeam (not our Quickbeam) and Bombadil, known to legions of fans worldwide as the Lords of the Rhymes, released their third single today, blowing the lid off of what had been an otherwise mediocre month in hobbit-rap record sales. The track, entitled 'Black Riders', is darker in mood and temperament than the duo's previous endeavors here. LANGUAGE WARNING [lordsoftherhymes.com]

Earlier Oscar mailings catch some off guard

12/30/03, 7:48 pm EST - Xoanon

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it mailed nomination ballots to its 5,803 voting members Monday. But the seemingly routine announcement caught some Academy campaigners off guard. [More]

'Rings' Races to $270 Million Overseas

12/30/03, 7:45 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With Christmas falling on a Thursday this year, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" enjoyed a festive weekend at the international box office as its foreign total soared to $270 million in 12 days. The final episode of the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy pulled in an estimated $83 million for the Friday-to-Sunday frame from 38 markets. Its overall total ranks 27% ahead of where last year's "The Two Towers" was after 12 days and 73% ahead of "The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001. [More]

TV Watch: Blanchett on Charlie Rose

12/30/03, 7:42 pm EST - Xoanon

Cate Blanchett will be a guest on Charlie Rose tonight. Check your local listings. [charlierose.com]

MakeUp News RoundUp

12/30/03, 7:39 pm EST - Xoanon

Centaurzee writes: I just wanted to send a few updates from the latest issue of MakeUp Artist Magazine (Issue #46). It was part of Joe Nazzaro's Year End Movie Round-up. Nice piece on RoTK. [More]

Arwen's Standard of Gondor

12/30/03, 6:53 pm EST - maegwen


Arwen's Standard of Gondor

I have long been struck by the passage in ROTK describing the banner crafted by Arwen, which sparked a life-long interest in embroidery and decorative arts. So, as odd as it seems, one of the things I was *most* looking forward to seeing in ROTK was WETA Workshop's interpretation of the king's standard. [More]

McKellen's ADR Cue Sheets - UPDATE

12/30/03, 5:21 pm EST - Demosthenes

Ian McKellen's webmaster writes: When Ian passed through Los Angeles last week on his way to Sydney (where Dance of Death is opening next week) he left behind a folder with a stack of loose sheets which turned out to be the scripts he used when recording voiceoves and dialogue for RoTK. I was surprised to see many pencilled notations showing how they had continued to refine the script right up to the last minute. UPDATE: PJ has asked us to kindly remove this link. Sorry folks!

Online Critics Dial Up 'King' for 11 Nominations

12/30/03, 4:02 pm EST - Demosthenes

Return of the King has become a royal favourite of the Online Film Critics Society, which gave the final installment of Peter Jackson's epic trilogy a leading 11 nominations for its annual awards. Thanks to Ringer frodosam for the link. [More]

Apparently the journalist miscounted - Rings got 11 noms, in fact. - Dem.

Tehanu's ROTK Review: Corrections and Additions

12/30/03, 4:42 am EST - Tehanu

As always it's a pleasure to read other people's responses, and there's always some insights worth repeating. Here's the best of them. Lots of spoilers of course. [More]

News for Dec. 29, 2003

RoTK: Full Circle

12/29/03, 10:09 pm EST - Demosthenes

From the New Yorker's Anthony Lane: The movie, the last of a trilogy, runs almost three and a half hours, but, if you factor in the emotional buildup, the crammed ticket line, and the decompression period that will be required afterward, you are talking about an entire day ripped from your mortal life. [More] !!!Spoilers!!!

What Critic Where?

12/29/03, 9:05 pm EST - maegwen

As we prepare to enter into the season of "Best of the year" lists and awards from this club and that assocation, have you ever wondered what all these critics groups are all about? Slate offers a story explaining some of the more preeminent organizations. [More]

Thousands flock to watch blockbuster

12/29/03, 8:47 pm EST - maegwen

Maitland cinema complex manager Jodette Clark said thousands of people had flocked to the Ken Tubman Drive complex for The Return of the King since it opened on Boxing Day. [More]

Japanese Spoiler Trailer

12/29/03, 8:12 pm EST - Demosthenes

Apparently, Japanese Ringers have been subjected to an incredibly spoilerific RoTK trailer (their release is not until February sometime). If you want to check it out, find a copy of Real Player and head to his url. Thanks to Ringer Smartweb for the link. [More] !!!Major Spoilers!!!

Consider This!

12/29/03, 8:01 pm EST - Demosthenes

Wondering who New Line is pushing in its quest for oscar glory for LoTR? Check out the list on the special awards site. There's also some video linkies (excerpts from RoTK), but I think I've seen them all before. Thanks to Ringer Suzanne for the link. [More]

The Journey's End

12/29/03, 7:57 pm EST - Demosthenes

LoTR Cast members Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Sam), Andy Serkis (Gollum), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Billy Boyd (Pippin) sat down with Science Fiction Weekly recently to talk about the final Rings movie and their part in the history-making cinematic project. Thanks to Ringer Angelique for the link. [More] !!!Spoilers!!!

IGN Interviews Peter Jackson

12/29/03, 7:44 pm EST - Demosthenes

The hottest director in the world discusses making the final Lord of the Rings film, departing the Tolkien world and his upcoming work with a big hairy ape. Another great IGN interview. [More] !!!Spoilers!!!

More On Toronto Ice Exhibit

12/29/03, 7:07 pm EST - Demosthenes

Xoanon reported a couple of days ago about the winners of the Toronto ice exhibit. Now, Ringer Thesbit writes in with this link to another report on the event. It also has a video news report (windows media format) that you can watch. [More]

FilmView.org Features RoTK

12/29/03, 6:49 pm EST - Demosthenes

As The Return of the King rules the Australian box-office, FilmView.org, the Aussie movie review site, has been completely taken over by the power of the One Ring. It features two film reviews, DVD and Score reviews, as well as some popular articles and interviews. The main page is dressed up with an image of the White Tree of Gondor at the very top that turns into the Dark Lord’s lidless flaming eye. Thanks to Ringer Matt for the link. [More]

Paths Of The Dead

12/29/03, 6:00 pm EST - Demosthenes

Trawling my inbox attachments directory, I stumbled upon a couple of interesting screencaps amongst the 3000-odd images lurking in there. They could be excised scenes from the Paths of the Dead for a scene talked about in these production notes (look for the discussion of the PoTD), but I can't be 100% sure of their veracity (or even how "new" they are). Treat with caution. [One] [Two] !!!RoTK EE Spoilers!!!

Chud LoTr Junketdom

12/29/03, 5:40 pm EST - Demosthenes

It just surprising what can slip through the cracks when your head is turned. Here's a great series of media roundtable interviews from one of the media junkets that the LoTR cast and crew did as they travelled the world to the various premieres. Spoilers abound here, but it's definitely worth a read.

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five]

Out In The Cold

12/29/03, 5:25 pm EST - Demosthenes

Yes, this story does have a LoTR link. I'm of the opinion that there is no situation for which The Princess Bride cannot provide an appropriate quote. And the first thing that sprang to mind when I failed to be blown away by Cold Mountain was: "Nothing you can say will upset me." [More] !!!Spoilers!!!

The TORn RoTK Geeky Observation List

12/29/03, 5:06 am EST - Demosthenes

All kudos for this huge list must go to the members of the TORn messageboards led by Ringer Grammaboodawg, who has been compiling this little monster. I have added a few comments and links here and there. Enjoy! Warning, there are some possible RoTK EE spoilers scattered throughout. [More] !!!Major Spoilers!!!

ROTK: Tehanu's Full Review

12/29/03, 2:53 am EST - Tehanu

I wasn't going to commit myself to a full review, nor one with spoilers, until the film was around a little longer and I'd had a chance to KNOW what I think myself! Now the problem is - how to write a short review of a long film? To say all I wanted to say I'd have to do an Extended Edition review. This one is long enough as it is, and it appears as Tehanu's 21st Note.

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