Ringer ismisebainrion wrote to tell us that tickets are on sale now for the Hartford Symphony’s Lord of the Rings with Howard Shore. Sunday, September 19 at 3 pm. [More]

The Boston Museum of Science is doing a special promotion, Ringer Anduinite writes: Sunday, August 1, from 12:01 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.: A Lord of the Rings ticket is $5.00 this one time ONLY. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed in costume, no weaponry please. Find out about the exhibit here: [More]

Ringer Bryan (corroborated by Ringer azLaura) writes: Readers interested in the LOTR pinball should avoid Sharper Image go to an actual pinball machine retailer – they will save several hundred dollars. Just do a Google search for “Lord of the Rings Pinball” and you will get several choices. The pinball is made by Sterns (one of the last real pinball manufacturers) and you can read more about this very cool game on their Web site: [More]

Ringer Starbright adds: I just want to say, that in response to your LOTR pinball machine news on TORN, I went to a place called Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania over Memorial Day weekend, and they own it. Its a lot of fun. I also wish I had 5,000, but at least at Skytop I only had to put in 50 cents to play it!

New Zealand as Middle-Earth at RBHS

Regina G writes: On Friday, May 28th, Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California, hosted their annual Multi-Cultural Faire. Our group decided to do New Zealand as Middle-Earth, serving “lembas bread” and fruit kabobs (featuring kiwis!) We all dressed up as various characters from the movies, and a talented member of our group drew amazing sketches of the Kings of Old on the River Anduin! [More]

(CNN) — The next time you settle in for a summer blockbuster movie and prepare to be dazzled by the wizardry of modern cinematic special effects, remember one name: Ray Harryhausen. If it had not been for him, today’s moviemakers would have far fewer weapons in their technical arsenal. [More]

There’s a flurry of activity in the academic shires in response to the 50th anniversary of the Lord of the Rings. While the giants – or should that be orcs and goblins? – of Hollywood are sitting back to enjoy the plunder of an epic film trilogy, the ivory towers are loud with the noise of scholarly axes being ground and professors setting forth on the quest for conferences. [More]