Renown Tolkien sculptor Dr. Greame Anthony will be at the Rob McIntosh store in Pointe-Claire (2335 Transcanadienne Route) tomorrow (November 9th). [More]

Mirwen sends along the odd news: Billy Boyd is planning to lord it in the pop charts with the release of a new album. Glasgow-born Billy who plays hobbit Pippin Took recorded the CD with American rockers Guns `N’ Roses and Lord of the Rings co-stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen and Dominic Monaghan. Their album, Pandemoniumfromamerica, will be released in two weeks. [More]

Ringer Spy Lorien Archer writes: The February 2004 (yes 2004 -Xo) issue of Fantasy World Magazine had this article on ‘The Return of the King’. Beware of the almighty !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Miami Mofo writes: While at B&N to buy Jude Fisher’s ‘LotR:RotK Visual Companion’, I was leafing through an imported October, 2003 issue of ‘Empire Magazine’ where I read the following in a report written as filming drew to a close in July, 2003: ‘Hobbit extra Peter Eastwood (no relation to Clint), a naturally diminutive tax inspector from Auckland blessed with startingly large eyes, stubs out a cigarette and grins from ear to pointy ear… !!Spoilers!! [More]

Miami Mofo writes: While at B&N to buy Jude Fisher’s ‘LotR:RotK Visual Companion’, I was leafing through an imported October, 2003 issue of ‘Empire Magazine’ where I read the following in a report written as filming drew to a close in July, 2003:

‘Hobbit extra Peter Eastwood (no relation to Clint), a naturally diminutive tax inspector from Auckland blessed with startingly large eyes, stubs out a cigarette and grins from ear to pointy ear. “I was going to be Sean Astin’s stand-in,” he announces to anyone in the vicinity whom he suspects to be a member of the press, “but I’ve been a Hobbit, another Hobbit and a Dwarf in the Council of Elrond, and now I’m that first Hobbit again. ‘During lunch, waiting to be rustled back to finish a secret “Shire party scene” for the end of the movie, the Hobbits tend to stick together. …’

A “Secret Shire Party scene”? This tidbit of info, coupled with AICN’s news that we will not see Saruman’s demise in LotR:RotK makes me wonder if P.J. made a last minute decision to change Saruman’s end as originally filmed for one that takes place in the Shire, to be used in the Extended Edition DVD.

If so, I would certainly welcome this last minute change. Best regards!

JovialNazgul sent us this link to a very neat looking LOTR-inspired checkers set. Having just bought the LOTR Trivial Pursuit Edition (and I leafed through all the cards until I found the one with www.theonering.net as an answer!), this would be a great edition! [Order on Amazon.com]