The wait is finally over for a worldwide audience eager to see the groundbreaking documentary RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, narrated by Dominic Monaghan and released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment — Pre-orders for both DVD and PSP format start on Amazon.com next Monday for U.S. and Canada (so be here for a special TORn announcement on Sept. 12th!). A film that has become a growing sensation since January, RINGERS tells the story of 50 years of Tolkien’s influence on popular culture. Audiences found the next “LOTR” film they’ve been craving as RINGERS blew the roof off the Slamdance Film Festival, going on to win Outstanding Achievement Feature Documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival and then getting snapped up for worldwide distribution by Sony (to be released in late November 2005)! [More]
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Peter Klassen writes: On 10th September, the Russian fan-made parody of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy will be released on DVD for purchase worldwide. The project which originated from the Russian LotR website “Henneth-Annun”, was created in three years of work, each part following after Peter Jackson’s theatrical releases of LotR. The project was realised uncommercially, and the total budget of $5000 (for the whole trilogy!) as well as costumes and props were brought up by enthusiasts and supporters from the forum. [More]
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Peter Klassen writes: On 10th September, the Russian fan-made parody of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy will be released on DVD for purchase worldwide. The project which originated from the Russian LotR website “Henneth-Annun”, was created in three years of work, each part following after Peter Jackson’s theatrical releases of LotR. The project was realised uncommercially, and the total budget of $5000 (for the whole trilogy!) as well as costumes and props were brought up by enthusiasts and supporters from the forum. What did came out, were three movies with 75 minutes running time each: “The Trouble of the Rings: The Fellowship”, “The Trouble of the Rings 2: The Towers” and “The Trouble of the Rings Returns: King-Size”.
The films were shot on various locations of Moscow, which sometimes resemble Peter Jackson’s New Zealand landscapes in an astonishing way. For means of transport in Middle-Earth, some original solutions have been designed. So, the menacing 8 1/2 Nazgul are riding on bicycles; the pony Bill is a scooter; Gandalf’s horse Shadowfax is played by a motorbike, and the Haradrim’s mumakil are…. well, be ready for a surprise. Another topic of the TOTR parody is “restoring the justice” for all the changes which Peter Jackson undertook in his screen version of LOTR. So we get to see, how Arwen came to Asfaloth, why Haldir brings word from Elrond and what Balrog really wants from Gandalf…
The movies premiered in Moscow in December of 2002, 2003 and 2004, and had good success on public screenings on Zilantkon (Russia) and Tolkien-2005 (Birmingham, UK).
Now, this no-budget parody trilogy is hitting the DVD medium. The 4 Disc Collector’s DVD set contains the 3 movie DVDs as well as a bonus DVD full with various extra features. Here are the specs of the set:
“The Trouble of the Rings: Collector’s Edition”
Language: Russian 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles: English, German (films and bonus materials)
Picture: 4:3 fullscreen
Color System: PAL
Region Code: 0
Rated: O (Restricted for Orcs)
Bonus material on the Film DVDs (subtitled):
– Audio Commentaries of the makers
– Trailers for each part of the trilogy
– Ring*Con 2004 Trailer
– Behind the Scenes: “How it was”
– On TOTR2 und TOTR3: bilingual end credits (Russian/English)
– Animated menus with music
Bonus Materials on the Bonus DVD (subtitled):
– Making of: “The Trouble of the Rings: The Road Goes Ever On…” (~30 Min)
– “Moscow As Middle-Earth”: Interactive Atlas of Locations
– “Our Fellowship” – Interview Featurette
– “All Of You Are Worthy, All Of You Are Great”: Music Video About the Mass Extras
– TV Report About the Filming (Russian TV)
– TV Interview (NBC EUROPE)
– TOTR1: Premiere Report
– TOTR2: Outtakes – “Theoden’s Kitchen”, “Crow’s Drink”
– TOTR3: Casting Auditions
– Photo Gallery
– Promotion Gallery
– Complete Credits
More information on this DVD release, as well as screenshots, trailers, dialogue quotes and much more can be found at TheHutt’s TOTR page.
The official site of the Fellowship Art Group, the makers of TOTR
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Watch this space for some great ‘RINGERS’ news coming soon!
Ringer Celebriel attended the Dragon*Con Sunday panel on “Ringers: Lord of the Fans” with filmmakers Cliff Broadway and Jeff Marchelletta. This, the last of their three panels at Dragon*Con, focused directly on the development and forthcoming release of the film. Cliff mentioned that, while “Ringers” is being released on DVD, it is possible there will be theatrical screenings in key markets, which will generate interest in the film (and provide opportunity for line parties and other Ringer events!). The panel opened with a rousing performance by Emerald Rose, whose music is featured on the soundtrack. (There may be a film soundtrack album in the future as well.) [More]
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Ringer Celebriel attended the Dragon*Con Sunday panel on “Ringers: Lord of the Fans” with filmmakers Cliff Broadway and Jeff Marchelletta. This, the last of their three panels at Dragon*Con, focused directly on the development and forthcoming release of the film. Cliff mentioned that, while “Ringers” is being released on DVD, it is possible there will be theatrical screenings in key markets, which will generate interest in the film (and provide opportunity for line parties and other Ringer events!). The panel opened with a rousing performance by Emerald Rose, whose music is featured on the soundtrack. (There may be a film soundtrack album in the future as well.)
“Ringers” is a 97-minute feature length film examining Tolkien’s books and their franchise from the 1950s to the 21st century. It’s based on over 150 hours of interviews. Development sped up when Jeff pitched Tom DeSanto (X-Men) and he came aboard as Executive Producer. They got Ian McKellen to make a surprise appearance at ComicCon in San Diego when McKellen was on his way to New Zealand to start working on “The Lord of the Rings.” At ComicCon in 2003, they recorded fan impressions in a “confessional booth,” many of which were used in the film.
After the release of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Cliff and Carlene Cordova recorded cast and crew at various award season events, realizing along the way that the story was becoming much bigger than first imagined.
Making the film took them to England and New Zealand and all over the United States. On the New Zealand visit, Cliff was able to appear as an extra in “The Return of the King,” playing a Gondorian looking over the walls of Minas Tirith toward the battlefield, standing next to Irolas. His comment: “My little geek heart almost burst out of my little geek chest!”
The November DVD release by Sony Pictures will include not just the film but also added value material such as “The Ring Comes Full Circle,” a making-of documentary. Other bonus features include the deleted scene “Tatoo You,” memorable confessionals from fans not used in the final film, interview footage with Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and Andy Serkis, “Making Lord of the Rings Cool Again” (a segment about Peter Jackson’s filmmaking), and an alternative film soundtrack that’s like a party conversation. Cliff summed up, “We made it because no one else would. We are bigger geeks than you can imagine.”
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With her ethereal voice, Hayley Westernra seems so much a part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy that Middle Earth would sound empty without her. FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN talks to this best-selling artiste. IF elf king Lord Elrond from The Lord of the Rings trilogy had a female singer in his enchanted kingdom of Rivendell, she would possess Hayley Westernra’s magical voice. It was her angelic voice and ethereal-sounding falsetto range that prompted music composer Howard Shore to feature her in The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus’ concert series in the United States and Canada last year. [More]
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