Belladonna writes: Added to audiblebeauty.net are a couple dozen more photos from Ringers screenings, including the final one this last Thursday night. Despite the drizzly weather we got a pretty good turnout, and I at least both enjoyed the film again and celebrating in the great line party atmosphere.
I am proud to call myself a Ringer. Proud and happy for my fellow fans featured in the movie made by Carlene Cordova and Cliff Broadway of TheOneRing.net that has recently premiered at Slamdance Film Festival. I was lucky enough to attend two screenings, including the premiere in Park City. It has been a wonderful thing to have it here in Salt Lake and Utah at large. Through the large and lively line parties (some of the largest organized ones in the world), and various local groups I have met many wonderful people. There was much cheering in the audience whenever we spotted footage from “our” events-got to love the miniature golfing-orcs! And yep I’m pretty sure I caught a glimpse of myself and music ensemble, Dorian Mirth (woohoo!)
I myself came late to Lord of the Rings, reading the trilogy just one year before the first movie was released. Somehow I missed it all growing up; well I guess in fact I didn’t care at all for that genre until finally being introduced through these stories. So it was interesting to see laid out what fandom was like say in the groovin’sixties (pipeweed, ahem) or the rockin’ seventies (as many bands put their fan feelings into their music). As Dominic narrated the witty script we were taken through the decades of different generations of fans. Interspersed throughout are GREAT animation sequences that, for lack of a better comparison, are much like Monty Python’s cut-out style. My personal favorite was the East Coast Ivory Tower (“let’s go read Ulysses again!”).
Let’s see, then there is the action figure/merchandise sing-a-long and a staging of the infamous Very Secret Diaries, among other clever sequences. And I cannot wait to someday visit Hobbiton, USA.
More delightful than even that though was a best-quality version of Leonard Nimoy’s “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” music video. This cheesfest of silly backup dancers is just begging to be re-created by fans (and I know some who are interested 🙂 Apparently Mr Nimoy was one of only two individuals approached who was not interested in an interview (the other being Ralph Bakshi). Speaking of which it was interesting to learn that David Carradine had been as horrified as many a fan to discover the animated production. He really wanted to be in a Lord of the Rings film (as Strider), but not, however, in this cartoon.
The Ringers film was at its best when talking to the fans themselves, with all the passion on display. This was not a parade of freaks, but many people talking about how Lord of the Rings had changed their lives for the better. In fact, I could have done with more from the fans themselves but that’s okay. With the end of Peter Jackson’s saga, the torch has been passed to many new fans that shall now have to carry on a fifty-year-old tradition, continuing to find new ways to enrich the experience. Let’s see what kind of future material can be had for “Ringers 2” 🙂
Distribution agreements have not been made, but there are offers on the table, so hopefully everyone else can see this in a theater near you soon!
