You’ve written your Ringer Review, posted multiple times on discussion boards across the internet, and maybe even ventured into the depths of Usenet if you’re really geeky. What’s left? Try writing to USA Today with your opinion. Thanks to Jon for the link. [More]

Third Coast International Audio Festival is featuring a LoTR documentary – A Long-Expected Party – until January 20th. Produced by Radio New Zealand’s Camilla Maling, it explores the creation of the world of the Lord of the Rings through the eyes of the New Zealanders whose “good old kiwi ingenuity” on the film set brought Middle Earth to life. (Requires Real Player) [More]

Jason Averett at Entertainment Weekly dropped us a line with the inside scoop on the forthcoming Oscar race edition of EW.

Thought you might be interested in next week’s issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, the magazine’s annual “Oscar Race Begins.” The editors forecast the five most likely finalists for the top Academy Award categories, and “The Two Towers” is predicted to be among the nominees for Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

For each category, the magazine also offers a “For Your Consideration” nominee. This is someone the editors don’t believe will make the final cut, but really should. In the Best Supporting Actor category, Andy Serkis is Entertainment Weekly’s “For Your Consideration” choice:

“We admit it: Even we’re not sure what to do with Andy Serkis, the British actor whose every tic, twitch, and hiss brings Gollum to such brilliant life in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.’ There’s no precedent for the way his work straddles the border that separates performance from visual effect. But about this we’re certain: The Academy had better start thinking about the issues that Serkis’ performance raises, because his work — however it’s categorized — is Oscar-caliber.”

The issue will be on news-stands everywhere Monday, January 13 … the Oscar prediction package will also be on EW.com Friday, January 10 by 6 PM ET.

BIG NEWS for all LOTR TCG Fans and fans of LOTR Collectibles alike. Here is some very exciting news fresh from the desk of Kevin Reitzel – who reports in from the Decipher, Inc. Marketing Department:

From Kevin:

Sméagol Retail Sales Incentive Program

This program is much like the Éowyn retail program that we [Decipher] did last year. For every $10 (or US equivalent) that a consumer spends at a participating retail location worldwide, they will receive a Sméagol, Old Noser alternate image (AI) preview card from Battle of Helm’s Deep (the next expansion in the Two Towers TCG series)!

This program starts in retail stores on Feb. 15 and lasts until March 31 (while supplies last). Every Retail Fellowship store will receive 50 of these preview cards and a ‘counter card’ (a small standee that informs customers of the program that sits next to the register) to start with, but will be able to re-order more if they need them. All these details will be announced in full through a web story that will be posted next week on www.decipher.com (with the image of Sméagol!).

There will also be several translations of these cards, including:

German
French
Portuguese
Polish
Swedish
Spanish
Italian
Hungarian
English

Thanks. (End of Report)

Please begin planning your stampede now! Don’t forget to put away that preciousssss 10 bucksssessss.

Later –

Lao of Gondor

So far we have sold half or the allotted 800 tickets for the party! Thank you to all the fans who ordered early!

If you have a question on your order please contact chris@sideshowtoy.com for information/updates. For example, if you ordered multiple tickets and did not specify a name for your guest(s), please immediately email him.