Just a quick reminder to Ringers in England - this weekend is “Monsters at the Mill” at Tolkien’s beloved Sarehole mill near Birmingham. Read More The Tolkien Society seminar, “Freedom, Fate and Choice in Middle-earth” takes place on June 28 in London - they are calling for papers now.
Collectors can look forward to a pretty realistic looking diorama coming soon from Sideshow Collectibles titled “‘Dark Council’ - Theoden and Grima Wormtongue.” From the looks of the piece, the sculptors have perfectly captured the likeness of Brad Dourif as Grima and Bernard Hill as the possessed Theoden. If Sideshow follows their regular schedule, we can expect this item to pre-order next week around 6pm PT. And if you are a Cate Blanchett fan, check out the Sideshow/Weta Polystone Statue of Galadriel, now listed at 35% OFF. [Dark Council Diorama] [The Lady Galadriel Statue]
This oft-visited farm is the headquarters for the unassuming but quite influential Gammy Boggs. If anyone wants news of the current happenings in Staddle, Gammy’s farm is the place to go. Visit her farm and she’ll waste no time putting your idle hands to work! Exploring Middle-earth: Gammy Boggs’ Farm
Or Where I Learn Something About History. (Maybe.)
I’ve been reading a lot of history books lately, initially for research, but in the end because bibliographies are full of tempting titles and the detours signposted thus are obviously more inviting than the trip at hand. So, am currently lost in history books about history. Besides, like Franklin P. Jones said “Perhaps nobody has changed the course of history as much as the historians.” When you’re using Occam’s Razor for that morning shave, you can only hope it’s still sharp - unless of course Parsimony is your Principle..
And, seeing as one of the culprits in the historical Flat Earth scam (yes, distracted from that once again) was the author of Rip Van Winkle, who had no scruples about practising exactly what he preached: “For what is history, but… huge libel on human nature, to which we industriously add page after page, volume after volume, as if we were holding up a monument to the honor, rather than the infamy of our species.”; I tripped over a quote, lost my bearings and ended up wandering off into history itself. (Irving, when he wasn’t penning epigrams, indulged in a good deal of epitaphs for infamy, by the way.) John Howe’s Journal: SAMIZDAT PALIMPSEST
Garfeimao sends along word that Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ will have it’s World Premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival as it’s Closing Gala event at the end of June. The full schedule goes live next week, there are loads of other cool events at the festival this year. GDT’s “Hellboy II” To Premiere at LA Film Fest
Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit on May 24 (May 25 in Australia/NZ). Peter and Guillermo would love to answer your questions and hear your comments about our new adventure into Middle-Earth. Please register now to make sure you don’t miss out on the Unexpected Party and get regular updates on the movies! Follow the registration link for instructions on submitting a question. Check out the rest of the story for chat times around the world and the text of PJ’s letter!
Catherine Élise “Cate” Blanchett (born May 14, 1969) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Australian actress and stage director. She has won various other acting awards, most notably two SAGs and two BAFTAs, as well as the Volpi Cup at 64th Venice International Film Festival. Blanchett came to international attention in the 1998 film Elizabeth, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in which she played Elizabeth I of England. She is also well known for her portrayals of the elf queen Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, a role which brought her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She and her husband Andrew Upton are currently artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company.
Graham sends in this reminder that in just one week the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts (Vienna, VA) will host the U.S. Premier of Howard Shore’s Score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring featuring a Live Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the entire film in HD! The live performances will be held on Wednesday, May 21 & Thursday, May 22, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25 - $55. Wolf Trap’s limited engagement back-to-back dates are currently the only performances scheduled on U.S. soil, and are not to be missed! Read More
Author Kristin Thompson writes: There has been a development in the lawsuit the Tolkien Trust filed against New Line Cinema in February. It’s not clear what it means, but I offer some suggestions on The Frodo Franchise. New Details on Tolkien Trust vs New Line Cinema
Volcanic activity at Mount Ruapehu is increasing and an eruption could occur at any time, scientists warned on Tuesday. The volcano, famed as a location in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, last erupted on September 25 2007, spitting two metre boulders distances of up to two kilometres. Ruapehu’s elevated alert level has not been changed, but scientists said on Tuesday that activity within the mountain was greater, with high levels of gas spewing out, a warmer than average crater lake and ongoing volcanic tremors. “The volcano remains in a status of unrest and the possibility of further activity remains. If further eruptions occur, they may occur without warning,” Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said in a statement.
Loading ...
This oft-visited farm is the headquarters for the unassuming but quite influential Gammy Boggs. If anyone wants news of the current happenings in Staddle, Gammy’s farm is the place to go. Visit her farm and she’ll waste no time putting your idle hands to work! 
Or Where I Learn Something About History. (Maybe.)
Garfeimao sends along word that Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ will have it’s World Premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival as it’s Closing Gala event at the end of June. The full schedule goes live next week, there are loads of other cool events at the festival this year. 
Catherine Élise “Cate” Blanchett (born May 14, 1969) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Australian actress and stage director. She has won various other acting awards, most notably two SAGs and two BAFTAs, as well as the Volpi Cup at 64th Venice International Film Festival. Blanchett came to international attention in the 1998 film Elizabeth, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in which she played Elizabeth I of England. She is also well known for her portrayals of the elf queen Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, a role which brought her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She and her husband Andrew Upton are currently artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company.
Author Kristin Thompson writes: There has been a development in the lawsuit the Tolkien Trust filed against New Line Cinema in February. It’s not clear what it means, but I offer some suggestions on The Frodo Franchise. 