Just in case you would like to add this to media-watch files, here are two small articles from the greek film magazine "Cinema". They were part of their Cannes Festival Special published in the July edition. Apparently the reporter was invited to both the special screening and the party.

1/"The Lord of the Rings".

Impresive special effects, magnificent sets, big helpings of heroism and action and a genouine fairytale atmosphere: a 25minute collage of scenes was enough to convince us that the wait for Peter Jackson's grandiose fantasy epic is more than worth it. The small sample we saw convinced us among other things, that the ingenious New Zealander director has given to Tolkien's universe more soul, than Lucas ever did to the "plastic", digital wolrds of his films. Patience till Christmas, when the film makes its worldwide premiere.

2/"Invitation to dinner by a prospective blockbuster"

Long before the "Holywood Reporter" gave it 5/5 Martinis, the LOTR party was the most important "extra-cinematografic" event of the festival. In a castle, 15Km from the Croisette, the cast of the much-expected trilogy was strolling till late at night among 1000 guests, roasting porks and endless bottles of champagne in avast garden decorated with the films origianl sets, brought over from New Zealand. Knights on horses, Liv Tyler shoeless and trip-hop from the loudspeakers for those who would not wake up the next mornong to watch "Roberto Succo". We, unfortunately, we not amongst them.....