The event will kick off at midnight on Tuesday, December 17th, and throughout the next day, passers-by will be greeted with the sight of Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, Rangers, Istari and Geeks camped out in singing, trivia-playing, costume-wearing determination in front of Lloyd Cinema 10. The bulk of the die-hard geeks will see the movie at 12:01 on the 18th, but many more will be staying for the 9am and noon showings as well. "There are a lot of people who want to come" notes local lineparty coordinator, Tanya Rezak, "...and some people's jobs just won't let them do a midnight showing." And of course, for most of these self-titled "Ringers," Peter Jackson has been holding them in anticipation since the release of last year's critical and box-office smash, "The Fellowship of the Ring," and one showing is simply not enough.

Nonetheless, the midnight option itself is proof of the mysterious draw of the Ring. Initially, New Line Cinema's contract with Regal forbade showing The Two Towers until 9am on the 18th, but with the encouragement of local fans and the assurances of a packed house in the state's largest auditorium, Robert Bob, Assistant Manager of the theatre, managed to secure one of New Line's coveted special showings.

The gesture is deeply appriciated, as while movies like "Star Trek: Nemesis" - another geek favourite to be released only two days before "Towers" - receive intensive studio support in promotion, the Long Expected Party is entirely a fan endeavor. Two local fans who like to call themselves simply "Sam" and "Frodo", appeared on KNRK's popular morning radio show, Gustav and Daria, on the morning of November 12th bemoaning the lack of retailer support in the release of the extended DVD for "Fellowship of the Ring," and were soon determined not to see a similar lack of geekish activity available for "Towers." The result is the Long Expected Party.

With the support of TORN and Lloyd Cinema 10, interest is high, and while a core 'Fellowship' of 100 attendees will be participating in the bulk of the organized events and guaranteed a seat at the midnight showing, many more are expected throughout the event. Created entirely by and for the fans of Tolkien's Middle Earth and Peter Jackson's inspired recreation thereof, the Long Expected Party is likely to be an epic unto itself!

To learn about the benefits of securing your "Fellowship" status, please visit Bit of Earth