A Proud Castmember writes: I just read the great plug for the show "Fellowship!" A musical parody of FOTR on your web page. Please pass on the information that the show is extended through March 19th. It was the LA Weekly's 'Pick of the Week' and the 'Critcs choice' in Backstage West and the LA Times. It's not to be missed by any true fan of any version of the stories! It keeps selling out at it's new location in Hollywood at THE MET THEATRE. Go to plays411.com for more info.

There's a "hobbit-sized" convention taking place in Bristol on March 26-27th, Alan Lee, John Howe and Jed Brophy are guests here. Tickets limited to 400. Some of these smaller conventions can be very satisfying, as they're more intimate events and you have a real chance to spend time with the guests. [More]

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Australian star Cate Blanchett has joined the cast of celebrities who will hand out Oscars at this month's Academy Awards, organisers said. Blanchett, 35, could herself receive one of the golden statuettes when they are handed out in Hollywood on February 27 as she was nominated as best supporting actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator." [More]

Suzanne & Don send along images and reports from the Hollywood Collectors and Celebrities Show, held at the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center. John Noble and his daughter were in attendance, take a look! [More]

Amy H. Sturgis, Conference Director for 'Past Watchful Dragons' writes: Just a quick update re: the "'Past Watchful Dragons': Fantasy and Faith in the World of C.S. Lewis" conference on November 3-5, 2005, at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Just added to the list of events is the Nashville Symphony's performance of Howard Shore's The Lord of the Rings Symphony. [More]

The folks at Tartan TV have a Billy Boyd interview online for you to enjoy. Take a look! [More]

From the Mansfield News: From J.R.R. Tolkien, the prelude to the epic "Lord of the Rings" is coming to the stage and you could be part of the adventure. "The Hobbit" will be presented March 18-20, at Stoughton Cinema Pub, Stoughton Square. [More]

From the New Zealand Herald: Movie director Peter Jackson is backing residents in Matamata who are opposing Transpower's proposed 400kV line and rumours are rife that he intends to return to the area to film The Hobbit. [More]

Peter L'Official writes: Before Frodo and Sam, there were Beren and Luthien. A case for revisiting "The Silmarillion." In the last dread days of disco-dûr, in the midst of the Seventh Age -- known in perhaps a more familiar tongue as "the Nineteen Seventies" -- there emerged from the House of Houghton Mifflin, and later from that of Ballan-tine, a great book of which much was expected, though few but the most ardent of devotees could wholly comprehend it. It has, in the Tolkienian spirit, valiantly returned. [More]

Buy the new Hardcover edition of 'The Silmarillion' on Amazon.com

Sean Astin's latest film 'Bigger Than the Sky' is out in limited release today. The film follows Peter (Marcus Thomas) who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, decides to audition for a small role in a local community theatre's production of Cyrano de Bergerac. Despite having no experience as an actor, he lands the lead role, which wreaks havoc upon his life. Sean Astin plays Ken Zorbell. [Showtimes USA]

John Noble will be appearing at the "Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show", opening today (February 18th). Take a look at the official site for more info. [hollywoodcollectorshow.com]

To start their Toy Fair 2005 offerings, Sideshow/Weta Collectibles has started taking pre-orders for The King of the Dead and The Battle Troll of Mordor. These pieces will probably sell out pretty fast. Check out SideshowWeta.com for the details. They have also added a great article detailing the creation of the King of the Dead from Senior WETA Workshop Designer Daniel Falconer. [King of the Dead Statue] [Battle Troll of Mordor Statue] [Daniel Falconer Article]

At the "Cinema for Peace" event in Berlin, celebrities who participated in the "Helping Hand" program printed their hand(s) into special modelling plaster. These unique casts are auctioned off on Ebay; the proceeds will go to UNICEF to help tsunami victims. If you'd like to own the imprint of Christopher Lee's right hand and do some good at the same time. [eBay Auction] [Images]

From a distance it could be mistaken for one of the tripod machines in H G Wells' The War of the Worlds. But Wellington is not about to be invaded by Martians. From November, Courtenay Place will feature a six-metre-high bronze, wood and steel salute to New Zealand's film industry created by Oscar-winning special effects company Weta. A model of the sculpture – a giant movie camera on a tripod made from what appears to be recycled materials is due to be unveiled today. [More]

Jan writes: Elijah Wood was announced as being on the Independent Spirit Awards Red Carpet Show shown on BRAVO on February 28th at 9PM. [More]

Kathryn from The Powerhouse Museum writes: I am writing to you from the Powerhouse Museum Members department, and was given your email address by one of our LoTR exhibition volunteers. We have organised a series of talks and workshops with various people from WETA Workshops. The first two feature head of WETA Richard Taylor, who will be performing an application of prosthetics and makeup to Jed Brophy on Saturday 26 February, while on Sunday 27 February he will be giving a talk with Tania Rodgers about their experiences on-set. We look very likely to have other events featuring LoTR behind the scenes talent in the next few weeks. [More]

'Now the Three Kindreds of the Eldar were gathered at last in Valinor, and Melkor was chained. This was the Noontide of the Blessed Realm, the fullness of its glory and its bliss, long in tale of years, but in memory too brief.' (The Silmarillion) [More]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- By the numbers, the Academy Awards are roughly 50 percent less relevant than they have been the last five years. While all five candidates for the top Oscar have managed respectable ticket sales, they collectively have been seen by fewer moviegoers than any batch of best-picture nominees in 20 years. [More]

The writer of The Lovely Bones is heading to New Zealand for the Auckland Writers & Readers festival. In a recent intreview she talked about how 'totally excited' she was that Peter Jackson would be making that book into a film. [More]

bunny of many colors (via Time Out) writes: Up-and-coming Brit stars Billy Boyd and Eva Birthistle ('Ae Fond Kiss') are to star in con-comedy 'Save Angel Hope', a twisted tale of a swindle involving nuns, hurricanes and a non-existent hospital in the South Pacific. The film will be directed by first-timer Lukas Erni. [More]

Sean Astin is slated to be on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' tomorrow. He wil be there to promote his latest film 'Bigger Than The Sky'. [More]

Sideshow/Weta has started their Toy Fair coverage with a preview of the upcoming 'King of the Dead' statue. Check it out! [Click Here]

Sassy writes: Elijah Wood has been nominated for MTV's Total Request Live 2005 Awards for "Quit Your Day Job (Best Guest Host)". The show airs February 21st 5-6:30pm Eastern time on, of course, MTV. Fans can vote for him online here. [More]

Dominic Monaghan's new hit show 'Lost' continues to get better with each episode. Catch 'Lost' tonight at 8PM EST on ABC. TORN's chatroom now has a special 'Lost' screening room, login to #lost at 8PM and watch with fans from around the country! [ABC.com] [TORN Chat]

One of the world's greatest orchestras, the Cleveland Symphony, is going to peform Howard Shore's "Lord of the Rings" symphony next February. [More] Thanks to Mary for the news!

Unlike "Star Trek" (which is real, of course), "The Lord of the Rings" has inspired many a fantasy costume since J.R.R. Tolkien's mythic saga was first published in 1954. During the '60s, there was even an attempt by the Beatles to film "LOTR" starring John Lennon as Gollum, George Harrison as the wizard Gandalf, Paul McCartney as Frodo and Ringo Starr as Frodo's sidekick Sam. Decades later, Peter Jackson secured the movie rights, and the rest is history, or rather, fantasy. "The One Ring Celebration" last month at the Pasadena Center gave fans the opportunity to dress as hobbits, wizards, orcs and dwarves, with no fear of being institutionalized. [More]

There would be no "Lord of the Rings' without motion capture. Take away the digital noise suppressors used to clean up the background sounds of classic Disney films, and your treasured copy of "Bambi' wouldn't sound nearly as clean. There's a complicated and highly technical process by which the noise removal is made possible, but as honoree Steven E. Boze said Saturday night during the 75th annual Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards, "All you really need to know is that it makes it sound better." [More]

Sir Ian McKellen has said he will return to the London stage as a pantomime dame next Christmas. The actor told BBC One's Breakfast that he plans to reprise his role as Window Twankey at the Old Vic theatre, where Kevin Spacey is artistic director. "The widow has hung up her boobs for the rest of the year but she's going to take them down again because she had such a good time," said McKellen. [More]

Two new DVDs for you to gander this Tuesday, first up is the 'Tarantino-esque' Elijah Wood film 'Chain of Fools', then be sure to check out Ian Holm as the White Knight in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' (featuring Kate Beckinsdale as Alice!) [More]

Ringer Spy Holly sends along these images of Sean Astin at the recent Dallas Comic Con. Take a look! [More]

Daladriel writes: Ian Mckellen is helping judge the upcoming First Light Film Awards, a contest honoring young UK filmmakers. It will be held in Leicester Square, London on February 23. He will be judging alongside other stars such as Jude Law, Rupert Grint, and Colin Salmon. [More]

Are you one of the lucky folks heading to the New York Toy Fair next week? If so, drop us a line! We've got some geekage we need you to report on! [Email us]

Celebriel writes: Just in time for Valentine's Day, Psychology Today reports that watching Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings can make our husbands and wives look all too schlumpy. [More]

Celebriel forwards a Wellington Dominion Post article identifying A US computer chip company and a Canadian biotech firm as the first international clients for WETA's New Zealand Computing Centre, formed in partnership with Telcom subsidiary Gen-i in September 2004. The downtown Wellington center is the largest commercially-available supercomputing cluster in the southern hemisphere - offering the power of about 9000 PCs. [More]

Wellington film-maker Fran Walsh now has a Grammy to keep her three Oscar statuettes company. Walsh shared a Grammy with composer Howard Shore and singer Annie Lennox for the song Into the West from Peter Jackson's The Return of the King. The trio scooped the best song written for a motion picture, television or other visual media category at the top American music awards show in Los Angeles last night. [More]

Kirk Honeycutt from the Hollywood Reporter writes: "Asylum" is a psychological thriller without bothering much with psychology. Come to think of it, the thrills are pretty much missing as well. Director David MacKenzie, who received critical plaudits in some quarters in 2003 for "Young Adam," has thoroughly consulted the Alfred Hitchcock playbook to create the atmosphere and suspense for this tale of (literally) mad love. Certainly Mark Mancina's score, reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann's scores for the late master, and numerous images want to put audiences in a Hitchcock frame of mind. It's hard, however, to imagine Hitchcock even raising an eyebrow over this weak story. [More]

Christopher Lee will attend the "Cinema for Peace" gala at the Berlin Film Festival today (Feb 14). He is participating in this event for the third time in as many years . [BIFF]

Jacquie writes: Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Kiran Shah and Bruce Spence will be attending CollectorMania 7 in Milton Keynes, UK - 29th April to 2nd May 2005. [More]