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April 09, 2003 - April 17, 2003
The LOTR & Daniel Beddingfield Connection
leo @ 6:46 pm EST
Jennifer writes: Hello there! My name is Jennifer. I just thought you might be interested in this little thing I found in Daniel Bedingfield's thank yous [on his album I presume -leo]. I started laughing when I recognized his format and thought it might be a nice piece of info for the site. It's always nice to see LOTR used by other artists.
"Daniel's thanks:
My dear people. My dear Bedingfields and Blanchards, and my dear Huggin's and Leatherbarrows, and Klopfensteins, and Lingars, and Gurtners, and Tompsons, Sparks's, Cox's, Hermos, Wades, Cummings's, Wilsons, Harts, Govinds, and Skeits. "Skeitses!" shouted and elderly gentleman from the back of the pavilion. Skeits. .... "
Daniel is from the UK and is really moving up here in the US with two major hit songs. "Gotta get thru this" and "If you're not the one" I definately reccomend his album. Hope you find this entertaining. :)
Live Near Geneva, Switzerland? Wanna Meet John Howe?
Xoanon @ 11:26 am EST
John Howe writes: To the best of my knowledge, the Salon International du Livre et de la Presse et du Multimédia, Palexpo, Geneva (April 30th to May 4th) is the first time that original sketches for the Lord of the Rings films have been exhibited in Europe.While it is a modest show - only a dozen pieces - it will be great to see the sketches actually framed and on a wall, rather than being pawed by countless hands, heaped in a clutter on the floor or propping up used coffee cups.
I will be there on Sunday May 4th from 4 p.m. [More]
BarliBash '03: Mark Your Calendars Now!
Jincey @ 11:26 pm EST
Event: Barliman's Bash, 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dates: Wednesday July 23, 2003 - Sunday July 27, 2003.The fourth Bash is coming up fast, and here are the basics that you'll need to decide if you want to attend.
The four-day event is social in nature - it's not a convention, it's a gathering. We do this to hang out with other Tolkien geeks...er, admirers. Sure, debating Tolkien minutiae and the like is something that we'll certainly do - but it's not the primary purpose for being there. The primary purpose is to have a good time.
There are two official, 'everybody attends' events scheduled for the Bash. First, on the evening of Wednesday the 23rd, there will be a reception. We'll have some food, and there'll be a cash bar. This is where you get to meet everybody you've never met before, and reunite with the folks you haven't seen in a while.
On the evening of Saturday the 26th, there will be a banquet dinner, again with a cash bar. It has been suggested that this event be formal, or costume, or some combination thereof. I'm considering it, but don't hold your breath - though dressing formally or in costume is *more* than acceptable - just don't expect everybody else to be doing so.
We've been brainstorming to come up with a few other, optional (and Tolkien-related) events to scatter throughout the Bash, and will certainly have at least one or two such things, for those who simply cannot envision attending a Tolkien-related event without Tolkien-related activities.
Where, some of you ask, are we staying? We've reserved space in the Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Toronto. It's a new property, in downtown Toronto (to state the obvious). So, for the first time, our group will be within walking distance of practically everything you'd care to do in Toronto. Visit the CN Tower, and gaze over Lake Ontario. Do some shopping, or go see a play. Wander through Toronto's many museums and galleries.
We've managed to secure the rooms for $149 per night, Canadian funds. This works out to roughly $100 per night, US funds, for single and double occupancy - which is quite a deal for a downtown property in the midst of tourism season. Triple and quadruple occupancy is available, but the accounting gets a bit more complicated - so just email me if you're interested in those rates.
People attending the Bash are *strongly* encouraged to stay at the hotel - we are required to fill a certain number of rooms, and will have to pay a financial penalty if we fail to do so. Information on making reservations can be gotten from Curunir, and will be posted on the Bash webpage, here at TOR.n, as soon as he's got it done - the slacker.
There will, sadly, be an associated fee. In order to pay for the catering, and for the meeting space in which the official events are to be held, we're charging a fee of $75.00 US per attendee. Info on paying this fee can also be obtained from Curunir, and will likewise be posted on the Bash webpage, when aforementioned slacker gets it up and running - which should be very soon.
And those, friends, are the basics regarding Barliman's Bash 2003. If you have any questions whatsoever, or to be added to the Barliman's Bash info mailing list, just email Curunir, and he shall see it done.
Take care of yourselves, be well, and we hope to see you all in Toronto!
Mystery Towers Video Clip!
Demosthenes @ 6:49 pm EST
An anonymous spy dropped this little gem into our mailbox just yesterday. What is it? Well, it's a short video sequence of Gandalf chatting to Aragorn about the Ring in far more depth than we've seen previously. It could be from a Two Towers EE scene, a clip from the Two Towers PS2 game, or even a snippet from RoTK - we're not quite sure yet. You will need the latest div-x codec - which you can obtain from here - to view this file, but it's a free download. [More] Spoilers!Update: About 50 people wrote to me to say that this clip does originate from the the EA game of the Two Towers. So it's not exactly the newest thing in town. In fact, I'd seen it before and forgotten all about it!
When you finish the game, a video of the Hornburg charge and this snippet appears then it fades to a screen saying "Lord of the Ring - Return of the King" coming December, 2003.
But will it make the movies at all we wonders? A scene for the Two Towers EE. The ambience of the scene looks to me like it would fit well into Fangorn Forest - or perhaps inside the stables at Edoras when Gandalf departs. Or maybe it's going to slot into Return of the King early on. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
PJ Talks TTT: EE DVD
Xoanon @ 12:11 pm EST
Although I'm loathe to cut and paste items directly from the LOTR Fan CLub Magazine (we like to get our own content), we've gotten so many emails about it I may as well post it. Take a look!Brandon writes: I have some great news from PJ from the newest LOTR Fan Club Magazine! These are all straight from the interview with Jackson:
PJ - "We've started editing The Return of the King: I am cutting it in more or less chronological order, and I've probably cut about 25 minutes so far. That's what I spend most of my day on. I have also completed the extended DVD cut of The Two Towers, which I wanted to get done so it didn't interfere too much with The Return of the King. I did that just before and after Christmas."
Are you looking at about the same amount of additional footage for the Extended Cut of The Two Towers as you had on The Fellowship of the Ring?
PJ - "We're actually looking at a little bit more. We've ended up with about 43 minutes of additional material: I think The Fellowship had 32 minutes."
PJ - "I think the thing I am most excited about is the fleshing out and expansion of the Treebeard/Ent story. His story, more than any other single part of the film, was reduced for the theatrical version. Most of the Treebeard stuff is humorous. We have a great scene-which I really would have loved to put in the theatrical version-where he recites really bad poetry to the Hobbits, who are desperately trying not to fall asleep because that would be rude, and they don't want to be rude. In addition to the Treebeard material in that storyline, we also have a really funny sequence with Merry and Pippin and the Ent-draught, which is pretty much taken right from the book. There are a lot more surprises in that extra Fangorn material."
Towers Extended Edition: Word From Jackson
Demosthenes @ 3:10 am EST
In the most recent edition of the LoTR 'Fan Club Official Movie Magazine', an interview with PJ states that FotR EE had 32 extra minutes, and the Two Towers EE will have 43 additional minutes. That means the extended Towers will come in at 222 minutes in length - that's a whopping 24 per cent more movie! Thanks to all who reported this! Highlight the spoilers below to read more!Apparently, nearly all of this new footage will consist of character scenes. There will be a good deal of Treebeard expansion as well as Huorns at Helms Deep. Also of interest was that Jackson denied that he was one of the Dunland wildmen. His only cameo was the Rohan spear chucker at Helm's Deep.
Added to the we already have via the BBFC about some of the DVD extras, looks like the Towers EE release will be just as impressive as FoTR.
Makoare Talks ROTK/The Hobbit
Xoanon @ 12:17 pm EST
Amy writes: Today at the Armageddon Expo in Auckland Lawrence Makoare jumped up on stage for a bit of an impromptu chat during the Weta/Sideshow discussion panel.
Not sure if you already knew, but he mentioned that he and Miranda Otto were returning in May to reshoot the entire Witch King sequence, as apparently PJ decided his armor looked altogether too similar to Sauron's. Lawrence didn't mention the inclusion of Merry here, but HOPEFULLY this was just an oversight on his part...eek!
He also revealed he has a very strong hunch that PJ will make The Hobbit, and the guy from Weta expressed extreme glee at the prospect of designing a dragon.
PJ & The Togan Ninja
Xoanon @ 7:34 pm EST
Fiver writes: According to an article, PJ will be contributing to the NZ teevee ad campaign for upcoming movie Tongan ninja.Jason Stutter's first feature 'Tongan Ninja' is set for a wide theatrical release in France, with French distributor Wildside planning to release up to 80 prints of the film in cinemas throughout France.
"Tongan Ninja is really a Wildside film," said Manuel Chiche of Wildside, who acquired the rights from the New Zealand Film Commission.
The film has been licensed for release in Australia and New Zealand by Magna Pacific. The New Zealand theatrical release is now being finalized, with a television campaign featuring Peter Jackson.
Tongan Ninja, which was written by Stutter, was produced by Andrew Calder, with Sue Rogers as executive producer for Tommy Ringo International and Midnight Films Productions, in association with the New Zealand Film Commission.
Media Watch: SFX's 'Sexiest Sci-Fi Stars in the Galaxy'
Xoanon @ 7:20 pm EST
Ringer Spy IC writes: The UK based SF & Fantasy magazine SFX celebrated Tolkien Reading Day 25th March in a different way their new edition hit the streets with a special supplement "The Sexiest Sci-Fi Stars in the Galaxy", opening the issue on page 2 was Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), there were also pix of Liv Tyler (Arwen), Elijah Wood (Frodo) and of course Orlando Bloom (Legolas)!
Also included (and listed here as I know that fans of these shows are also LotR fans) were Alyssa Milano (Charmed), Tom Welling (Smallville), James Marsters (Buffy), Sarah-Michelle Gellar (Buffy), Claudia Black (Farscape), Ben Browder (Farscape), David Boreanaz (Angel), Alyson Hannigan (Buffy), Eliza Dushku (Buffy), Connor Triner (Enterprise), Alexis Denisof (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Angel), Tobey Maguire (Spiderman), Jolene Blalock (Enterprise), Jennifer Garner (Alias) and Kristin Kreuk (Smallville).
TV Watch: McKellen On 'Parkinson' Details
Xoanon @ 12:30 pm EST
Alex writes:Just wanted to let you know what Sir Ian spoke of last night on Parkinson. I'm from the UK and watched the show intently, waiting for Ian to show (he was the last guest).
He and Parkinson spoke mainly of his new play (and very briedly of X-Men 2), but when there was mention of Lord of the Rings Ian spoke enthuisastically about 'getting into character' and the huge amount of time spent making sure his performance was up to scratch.
He told us the fact that he hadn't read the books before filming (and it's not clear whether he ever has, since, either) but he was pleased that his performance was accepted by the fans of the books in general.
He also showed us his tattoo that the members of the cast all got done (the Elvish for '9'), his was on his right upper arm, but jokingly suggested Wood's was 'further down' toward his waist. Highly entertaining man, as ever, and stole the show for me last night.
Doctor Who As Bilbo?
Xoanon @ 12:21 pm EST
Joe Kavalier sends along this snippet of an interview with Doctor Who star Slyvester McCoy. McCoy mentions how close he came to playing Bilbo! (the mind just boggles at the thought of Tom Baker playing Gandalf and Syl playing Bilbo!).I just came across a tidbit that may be of interest to TORn readers. In an interview with Sylvester McCoy (the seventh Doctor Who), I found the following exchange:
Is it true you were second choice to play Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings?
Yes, I was down to the last two. They didn't tell me who the other one was but when I found out I was in the company of Ian Holm that took away some of the sadness, because he's a brilliant actor. I just wish he'd been busy that week! That would have been a nice pension...
The whole interview can be found here.
'Hobbit' Stage Play In California
Xoanon @ 12:10 pm EST
Bailey sends along this bit of information about a new 'Hobbit' stage play hitting the stage in Pasadena, California. The play will be held at the Pasadena Junior Theater located at Scott Hall at Holliston Church. 1305 Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA.
For information, you can call 626-577-5922. Performances run May 2-11. Fridays at 7PM, Sundays at 5PM. Saturday May 3rd is at 2:30PM and Saturday May 10th is at 7PM. Its a great show and its children age 9-14 performing all the roles.
Pre-Order TTT DVD In The UK? -More Info-
Xoanon @ 11:41 am EST
Harry sends along this information from a report we posted a few days ago about WHSmith bookstores taking TTT DVD pre-orders in Scotland, take a look!I work at Wh Smith in the county of Kent in the UK, and I can confirm the story about the pre order leaflets you posted earlier. The info listed is simply 'late august', but unofficially we're saying 'the last tuesday of the month', so that should tie up if you look it up ;)
The pre order includes a free exclusive mug, and the art w've been supplied with is Gandalf and the Ring on a blue Elven leaf background with the film's logo, although it might be subject to change.
WETA Armageddon Presentation in NZ Today
Tookish @ 10:59 am EST
Ringer Cunning Vixen sent in a report on WETA's presentation in Auckland today. Our buddies Daniel Falconer and Warren Mahy were on tap, and good ole' Lawrence showed up too... Hello from Auckland! Some news for you about Armageddon in Auckland.
The Weta presentation at Armageddon in Auckland today, Saturday the 12th, was excellent. Weta creatives Daniel Falconer and Warren Mahy talked about Weta in general. To give us a focus on the Weta creative process they talked about how they conceptualised and created the Uruk-Hai, giving us plenty of backstage tidbits. Halfway through the presentation – Lawrence Maokare walked in!!! This was a total surprise, as he hadn’t been listed in any event programs. He laughed and bantered with the Weta guys as they showed a hilarious and informative video about how Lawrence was made up to look like Lurtz, starting at 10 at night and ending early in the morning. Afterwards, the Weta creatives and Lawrence graciously gave autographs. It was very informal and fun. Daniel and Warren are doing another presentation tomorrow, Sunday, at the second day of Armageddon, and they told us in advance that the Sunday presentation will focus on how they developed the armor. Maybe Warren Ormsby-Green, the LOTR film armorer who lives in Auckland, will make an appearance?
Best wishes,
Cunning Vixen
Hall Of Fire Chats This Weekend
Demosthenes @ 9:39 pm EST
This weekend, Hall of Fire will focus on the stewards of Middle Earth. Several characters take up the role as stewards in Tolkien's Middle Earth. Some are obvious - Denethor, Manwe (and - indeed - many other Vala), Theoden and Samwise, for example. However, Treebeard, Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf and the other Istari, and maybe even Tom Bombadil and the Entwives can also be viewed as stewards. But what makes a steward in Tolkien's milieu? And, apart from a great love for their individual 'stewardships', What do they have in common and what sets them apart?
Additionally, were Sauron and Saruman ever stewards? And how close is the distinction between stewarding something and seeking to dominate it?
Upcoming Chats:
April 19/20
The Druedain
Here we take a closer look at that remarkable and mysterious people. As many of you know they were one of the tribes of Edain to come into Beleriand and fight the hosts of Morgoth. What you might be surprised to hear is that they went to Numenor! And how did they get to Druadan Forest? And what is their connection with the strange Pukel men of Dunharrow?
Suggested Reading:
Unfinished Tales - The Druedain
RoTK - The Passing of the Grey Company
RoTK - The Muster of Rohan
RoTK - The Ride of the Rohirrim
April 26/27
Ents, Entwives and all things Treeish
Not entirely sure what this will involve yet, but expect lots of book talk ... old forest, origons and fate of the ents and entwives, rumours of trees wandering the moors and what the heck are huorns?
Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net's chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Times:
Saturday Chat:
5:30pm ET (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 7:30am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat:
7:00 pm (19:00) CET
[also 1:00pm (13:00) ET and 3:00am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA's East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AET = Australian East Coast
Having trouble working out a time zone near you? Try this page.
Do you have a possible topic for Hall of Fire? Drop us a line at halloffire@theonering.net. And don't forget that you can check out previous chats here.
Max von Sydow As Gandalf?
Xoanon @ 4:27 pm EST
midnightgirl sends in these small clips from an interview the actor recently gave to The Independent. Seems he wanted in for either Potter or LOTR! ..I ask another question (are there any parts in the last few years that he has coveted?), and sure enough his answer ("Hmm... no, I don't think so") is quickly unravelled by his wife. "The Harry Potter film," she says, "you saw that first, didn't you, Max, and you rang your agent, because you wanted a part." Another sigh from Von Sydow. "Yes, that is true." It turns out that, well before the hype, he read an article in Time magazine about Harry, and, rather perspicaciously, rang up his British agent to ask if there would be a part for an older wizard. She had not heard of the book, said she would make inquiries, but didn't ring back. He rang her again a few months later, and she told him all the parts were going to British actors.
"And the same thing happened with The Lord of the Rings," he notes sadly, "I rang my agent, but they had to be British actors." It does seem unfair that the Brits have such a monopoly on old-geezer parts (I have a mental image of Von Sydow ringing to inquire about an Ingmar Bergman biopic, set in the wild archipelagos of Sweden, and being told, "Oh, bad luck, Mr Von Sydow. It's just gone to Michael Caine...") But what really puzzles me is that both parts he lusted after were in films that are basically fairy tales.
He looks shocked. "But I have always loved legends, especially British ones. I love Tolkien. My father was a professor, and he studied them at the university. He especially loved Irish ones, and went over there and taught himself Gaelic and translated these stories, stories that no one else in the world knew about, and would read them to me at night."
Region II TTT DVD Info!
Xoanon @ 4:18 pm EST
A few items on the BBFC website listing a couple of extras classified for the TTT DVD.* 16 TV SPOTS (8min 3sec total time, approx. 30sec each) NEW POWER, ANOTHER, EVENT REVISED, DREAM REVISED, DARKNESS REVISED, RETURN, STRIKE, COUNTDOWN, ONE WORD REVIEW, THE WAIT IS OVER, REVIEW B - GOLDEN GLOBES, GOLLUM SUPREME REVIEW, REVIEW A - GOLDEN GLOBES REVISITED, GOOD TOP 10, TOP 10 REVIEW
* ADDED VALUE TRAILER Consists of two items: "LORD OF THE RINGS - THE TWO TOWERS ADDED VALUE TRAILER" (1min 49sec), and "L.O.T.R T.T.T" (2min 51sec)
* RETURN TO MIDDLE EARTH WB Special (43min 9sec)
Peter Jackson #20 On Hollywood Power List!
Xoanon @ 3:58 pm EST
Apr 10, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) --
SPIELBERG IS NO. 1 ON HOLLYWOOD POWER LISTSteven Spielberg is No. 1 on Premiere magazine's 2003 Power List of the 100 most influential people in Hollywood.
The director of "Catch Me if You Can" knocked off AOL-Time Warner honchos Richard Parsons and Robert Pittman to finish on top of this year's list, moving up from No. 6 last year. The rest of the Top 10 are all producers, including George Lucas -- who last year directed the fifth "Star Wars" movie.
"Spielberg is the Tiger Woods of the movies," said Premiere's Editor-in-Chief Peter Herbst, "the guy who's so talented, smart, and hard-working that he seems to be playing a different game than everyone else."
The most bankable movie stars in Hollywood right now, according to Premiere, are Tom Hanks (No. 13), Tom Cruise (No. 14), Mel Gibson (No. 15) and Julia Roberts (No. 16).
Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman jumped from No. 83 to No. 31, and Oscar-nominated actress Renee Zellweger went from No. 97 to No. 63. The biggest jump of all was Reese Witherspoon, who went from No. 96 last year to No. 32 on this year's power list.
Jack Nicholson came in at No. 74, after not making the list at all last year. Some newcomers to the list include Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man"), director Rob Marshall ("Chicago") and writer Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation"). Colin Farrell ("Minority Report," "Daredevil") also made the power list.
Halle Berry made the list, but only came in at No. 96 -- after a year in which she won a Best Actress Oscar and scored a blockbuster hit, co-starring with Pierce Brosnan in the latest James Bond picture.
The list also includes producer Brian Grazer (No. 18), producer Jerry Bruckheimer (No. 19), "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson (No. 20), "Signs" writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (No. 21) and director Ron Howard (No. 26).
Denzel Washington moved up from No. 40 last year to No. 28 this year, and "The Matrix" directing team of Andy and Larry Wachowski is No. 27 this year -- up from No. 89 last year.
(Thanks to UPI's Pat Nason in Los Angeles)
GamePro Announces Best Of's
Flinch @ 10:34 am EST
GamePro Magazine's May issue features their Reader's Choices for 2002 including what should come as no surprise to anyone The Two Towers by EA Games for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. While it seems that every time someone says "Best" and "Action" in the same sentence they are speaking directly of EA's beautiful rendition of the second installment of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. With rankings like this now, one can only imagine what EA has in store for us for Return of the King.Other fantasy games didn't do so bad themselves with one of my all time favorites The Legend of Zelda: The Link to the Past coming in Second for Best Handheld Game, and Blizzard's WarCraft III coming in as the Best PC Game of the year. GamePro ranked the top Adventure Games of the year naming Grand Theft Auto: Vice City number one, Resident Evil O number two, and Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outkast Third.
Overall I can't wait to see what the next wave of Tolkien Games will bring. Will Middle-earth Online and War of the Ring battle it out for PC Game of the Year? Will Black Label Games next book game best EA's strong running film franchise?
Only time can tell, but I can tell you one thing for sure, it's gonna be a good year. What about you? What are you looking forward to in this new season of Tolkien based Games? Drop us an e-mail to Havens@TheOneRing.net and tell us what you think!
Games Day is Coming!
Flinch @ 4:59 am EST
Games Workshop Announces Its Games Day Hobby Celebration and Gaming Convention Schedule! Games Day is the huge gaming extravaganza for the Games Workshop series of hobby games such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000, the world's most popular tabletop battlegames. These special events draw thousands of enthusiasts from across the country to join with fellow players in enjoying their favorite games. This year will see an additional third Games Day convention hosted in Los Angeles, to join the established events in Baltimore and Chicago. There will be gaming events ranging from beginner to expert for all the games, plus seminars, tournament games, special guests, and more.
The Golden Demon Awards will be at each show featuring the top painters from around the country and their incredible hand-painted miniatures, showing off the finest displays of the painted Citadel figures to be found. Special campaign games will be running through all three Games Day conventions, allowing players to become part of huge overall events of thousands of fellow fans. Gaming Clubs from around the country will also be a part of the show as they put on their own gaming events for players.
There will be lots of new Lord of the Rings tabletop battlegame events too, including displays and promotions plus of course sneak peeks at the new The Return of the King figures and game for the upcoming motion picture! Also in attendance at each show will be Sabertooth Games, running events for their Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game and the new Warhammer Collectible Card Game, plus showing off their upcoming Tradeable Miniatures Game for The Lord of the Rings.
First up - Games Day Los Angeles!
Games Workshop will be holding its first ever Games Day celebration event in Los Angels, an event sure to rock the West Coast like nothing before. For years players have been demanding Games Workshop put on a Games Day in California, and this year it will finally happen. It's sure to be huge event, the largest ever put on by the company in this region!
Guests will include the head of the Games Workshop Studio Jim Butler, lead designer of the new The Lord of the Rings tabletop battlegame Alessio Cavatore, artist and painter for many of our projects on The Lord of the Rings Dave Andrews, author William King (of the popular Gotrek and Felix series of novels), Tony Cotrell from the special Forge World division, and more!
Show Date: May 31
Location: Ontario Convention Center, CA
Hours: 10am -7pm
Call us at 1-800-394-GAME for more information, or on the web here.
To buy tickets directly, click here.
Games Day History
Long a tradition in England where the Games Workshop hobby started, Games Day in the USA started over 10 years ago in one of Maryland's Games Workshop Hobby Centers. Despite the small venue, nearly 100 dedicated fans showed up for the full day of fun! The next year the show was moved to a real convention hall, where the show grew even larger. So big in fact that two years later the show moved to the Baltimore Convention Center and spread into a 2 day event. Each year the show has expanded in both size and attendance, with thousands arriving each year to play, paint, and celebrate the miniature gaming hobby.
Each year has seen such wild events as Squig Hopper Races, fun (but messy!) Speed Painting competitions, and Formula Waaaagh! demolition derbies. Clubs devoted to Games Workshop games also put on special events to show off their enthusiasm for their favorite hobby. One highlight has always been the Golden Demon miniature painting competition, showcasing the best figure painters in the country and their work with the finest miniatures in the world. Last year's Games Day events drew over 6,000 enthusiastic hobby fans, and even more are expected at all three events this summer.
For more information, visit www.games-workshop.com or call 1-800-394-GAME.
About Games Workshop
For almost 30 years Games Workshop has designed, manufactured, distributed and sold tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures, marketed as a complete hobby for teenagers and older. Its key brands are Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. The latest addition to the range is The Lord of the Rings line of battle games and miniatures produced under an exclusive global license from New Line Cinema, with imagery based on the Oscar winning series of films directed by Peter Jackson.
With its international headquarters in Nottingham, England, the company also has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and Australia. Over 2,200 people are employed by the company through these operations. Games Workshop America has its headquarters in Glen Burnie, Maryland and oversees a coast-to-coast operation which includes independent retailers, direct sales, and Games Workshop operated retail hobby centers.
Games Workshop owns nearly 300 retail stores worldwide and its products are featured in over 2,000 independent outlets internationally. Games Workshop is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
Games Workshop controls every aspect of its business, from initial concept and design through to manufacture, distribution and retail. Its long-running publication White Dwarf is available via the stores, by mail order, on newstands throughout the world (in several languages), and through its website: www.games-workshop.com.
For further information please contact: For further investor information please contact:
Tim Huckelbery Julia Woodall
Public Relations, Games Workshop America
Investor Relations, Games Workshop PLC
Tel: 410-590-1400 Tel: 011 441 1591 68100
Timh@games-workshop.com JuliaW@games-workshop.co.uk
www.games-workshop.com http://investor.games-workshop.com
Join us at the LA Festival of Books!
Calisuri @ 2:02 pm EST
With its very own book "The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien" fresh off the press, the TheOneRing.net staff will be "pressing the flesh" while attending the L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. (http://www.latimes.com/fob) The free festival, a celebration of the written word, hosts authors, readings, panels and a children's area and this year will feature TORn authors and staff members who have spent years refining their Tolkien scholarship with a lively on-line correspondence with you, TORnados from all over the world. Anwyn, Ostadan, Quickbeam and perhaps Tehanu will be on hand to meet TORnados in person. Co-author Turgon will not be in attendance.Located in booth #155, at the University's Wilson Plaza, most of the five TORn authors will be on hand to talk Tolkien, autograph the "The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien" books, and will sell a limited number of "Two Towers, One Party" t-shirts, "The Lord Of The Rings" books and other Tolkien related merchandise. In short, it will be your one-stop Tolkien shop. Each purchase will also come with a raffle ticket and a chance of winning one of the prizes given away every hour of the festival after Noon. Prizes include: A Noble Collection Arwen Evenstar Pendant, Sideshow/WETA Saruman and Aragorn statues, an extended DVD version of "The Fellowship Of The Ring," autographed copies of "The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien" and the soundtrack to "The Fellowship Of The Ring."
The guide is a collection of essays that explore Tolkien's myths and the world they are set in. The multi-author approach gives readers different ways to approach Tolkien's beloved works and explores why Middle-Earth has had such a special hold on reader's hearts and minds for over 50 years. One section of the book discusses why the fantasy genre is currently so popular while another examines what informed and inspired Tolkien's creative process.
The section "Good and Evil" looks at the the author's moral universe and the ways people find guidance and inspiration from his works. "Cultural Norms" delves into how Tolkien's books are understood - and misunderstood - in a changing world and there is a section about the Peter Jackson films adapted from "The Lord Of The Rings."
Unique to these authors who interact daily with readers and film-fanatics from every walk of life the world over is the section of answers to the most-asked Tolkien questions. Published by Cold Spring Press the authors, known by their TORN names are Tehanu, Turgon, Quickbeam, Anwyn and Ostadan. Esteemed Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey wrote the forward.
Festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday Quickbeam, Anwyn and possibly Tehanu will sign from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.. Sunday will feature Ostadan and Quickbeam from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is $7.
If you can't make the show, pre-order your copy of "The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien" at the following places:
[Pre-Order at Amazon.com] [Pre-Order at Amazon.ca] [Pre-Order at Amazon.co.uk] [Pre-Order at Amazon.de]
Media Watch: Starlog Magazine Talks To Hugo Weaving
Xoanon @ 12:09 am EST
The e-Rose sends along these scans from 'Starlog Magazine' featuring our favorite Elven King and Agent we love to hate, Hugo Weaving.
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