Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy could literally live the life of a hobbit if they stump up the estimated £600,000 price tag for a fantasy property in Aberdeenshire. Tolkien's mythical tribe of little people would find themselves very much at home near Insch, where one man has created his very own middle earth. Tolkien may have created the ultimate in mythical fantasy tales but Retired Gordon Highlander, Major Mike Taitt has brought a little bit of middle earth to life at Newmains near Oyne. [More]

Mark writes: Watch the AFI "100 Years, 100 Movies Tenth Anniversery Edition" tonight at 7:00 pm CST on CBS.They have been using tag lines such as "Will the greatest movie of all time be Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Godfather, Titanic or Lord Of The Rings?" [More]

LONDON–It's gotten better; it's gotten worse. The revised production of The Lord of the Rings that opened at the Drury Lane Theatre last night is not unlike a friend who's been hitting the Botox a bit too heavily. At first glance, they may seem sleek and lovely, but look closer and you'll find that everything underneath is frozen and unmoving. What has the show gained since its run in Toronto? A more effective use of its sets and lighting, a clearer storyline in Act III and a smashing performance from Laura Michelle Kelly as Galadriel. [More]

Vanessa "Saffron" Price, Online Community Representative for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, writes: Learn more about the noble and respected Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod, one of the eldest of the Elves yet remaining in Middle-earth. [More]

Andrew writes: Please let the readers of TORN know that PBS is currently running a great documentary on the life of Vincent Van Gogh with Andy Serkis in the staring role. Please check the listings for your local PBS stations and do try to see this show. Serkis makes Van Gogh come back to life with equal measures of genius and sensitivity and deals with the artist's illness that is real and sympathetic. It is the quality of performance that you rarely see these days in such pieces.

LONDON–Michael Therriault has learned a new definition of "precious." True, he's spending his days swooping around the giant stage of the Drury Lane Theatre in search of the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, opening here tonight. But ask him what he really cares about and Therriault, who is here recreating his award-winning Toronto performance of Gollum, answers without hesitation: "My family and friends back home. I wish I could be with all of them." But there's only going to be one person in the Therriault cheering section tonight, his girlfriend, actor Tracy Michailidis, and that's the way he wants it. [More]

LONDON, June 19 (UPI) -- The Theatre Royal in London's West End launched the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." The show, which cost $24.9 million and features 17 pneumatic lifts beneath the stage, began previews in May, the BBC reported Tuesday. The production debuted in Toronto last year but was cut by about 35 minutes for the West End opening after it wasn't well-received by critics. [More]

From Michael Billington (at Guardian Unlimited): I suppose there are two ways to approach this mega-musical: either as a paid-up Tolkien aficionado or as a wide-eyed newcomer. Having dipped only briefly into the original trilogy and the Peter Jackson movies, I entered Drury Lane as innocent as any hairy-toed hobbit. But I emerged three-and-a-quarter hours later sceptical as to the main matter but hugely impressed by the manner of Matthew Warchus's production. Obviously Shaun McKenna and Warchus, as co-authors, face a huge task in boiling down a 1000-page fantasy into a theatrical narrative. But, although bits of the backstory remain obscure, the main thrust is clear. Frodo Baggins, a junior hobbit, and his chums are deputed by the wizard, Gandalf, to undertake an epic journey to Mount Doom to dispose of the evil Ring. In the course of their quest they acquire the company of elves, dwarves and rangers. They encounter sinister black riders and orcs, pass through Rivendell and the Golden Wood and ultimately do battle with the forces of the Dark Lord, Sauron. Finally, however, they get rid of the damned Ring. [More]

'Figwit', the female fan phenomenon from the LOTR trilogy will be on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' tonight. He will be there with his ban Flight of the Concords, who have a new HBO show set to debut soon. 'Late Night' airs on NBC at 12:35AM. Set those VCRs!

Lynnette P writes: As part of my research for my current Lord of the Rings book project, I've set up a questionnaire here. To gather comments about Tolkien's book, Peter Jackson's films, and Lord of the Rings fandom. The survey is completed anonymously and takes about 5-10 minutes. I'm looking for a wide variety of responses, from long-time Tolkien readers to new fans of the films. I appreciate all responses to the survey, and thank everyone in advance for helping me conduct my research. Could you post the link and a brief message about my research on TORN? If anyone has questions about the survey or the forthcoming book, please contact me at porterly@erau.edu. [Survey]

Take an early look on our 'DVD Tuesday' feature...every Monday! There are a whole slew of amazing DVDs out tomorrow, take a look at some TV goodies like; 'Animaniacs, Vol. 1-3' & 'Daniel Boone: Season 4'. Some new collection DVDs include 'The Die Hard collection' & 'Lucille Ball Film Collection' The big releases of of the week include; 'Bridge to Terabithia', 'Miss Potter' & 'Reno 911: Miami'. The Blu ray gurus get only 'Bridge to Terabithia'. Check out the whole list here! [More]

Weta Limited, under the brand Weta Originals has revealed its show exclusive piece for 2007, that will be available this years San Diego Comic Con. The piece is a miniature version of the Weta Originals ManMelter from the Rayguns range, titled, the ‘Mini ManMelter’. The Mini ManMelter is a quarter sized replica of its larger brother, the ManMelter. The Mini ManMelter weighs approximately 120 grams (not including packaging), is slightly larger than a matchbox and is priced at $30US. [More]

Antonio writes: My father and I saw Christopher Lee at the Festroia Film Festival in Portugal, we took some pictures that we want to share. [More]

The Lord of the Rings Online game will celebrate the first annual Summer Solstice Festival live for three weeks. The first of many planned seasonal festivities, the festival will offer players a number of unique quests, vendors and activities. Read more Right here

It's the most expensive West End musical ever and has been three years in the making, but now The Lord of the Rings is about to open. Paul Arendt enters a world of elves, ents and leather-clad orcs. Matthew Warchus is looking a little frazzled. It's not surprising: after three years of development, a lengthy dry run in Toronto and an unprecedented six weeks of London previews, The Lord of the Rings musical is ready to face the critics. As director and co-writer, Warchus has given four years of his life to the project. "I don't have to worry about this becoming habit forming," he says during a break in rehearsals. "I certainly don't intend to do something on this scale ever again." [More]

From music4games.net: Developed by Turbine, Inc. (Asheron’s Call) and published by Midway Games Inc. The Lord of the Rings Online: The Shadows of Angmar (LOTRO) is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." In development for over four years, LOTRO opens up the mystical world of Middle-earth and creates the opportunity for endless adventure. To match the epic ambition and stature of this long awaited release the game’s extensive soundtrack demanded the musical talents of several talented composers including HUGEsound’s Audio Director/Composer Chance Thomas, Turbine Entertainment’s Lead Composer Stephen DiGregorio, Turbine Entertainment Audio Director/Composer Geoff Scott, and freelance composer Brad Spear. M4G recently managed to round up two of the game’s composers, Brad Spear and Chance Thomas, to discuss their respective contributions and overall musical spectrum for the game’s soundtrack. [More]