   Don’t forget – TORn Tuesday hosts Sean Astin LIVE Tonight!
Sean will be talking about his latest projects — including his special endurance/fitness project Run3rd to promote the sport of running as he gears up to run his third LA Marathon. (If you’re already curious, hit up his official Twitter account!) Plus, he’ll be answering your questions! If you’re wondering how it all works, and how to submit a question for Sean, please read on below! TORn Tuesday hosts Sean Astin this week!
Astin — actor, director, voice artist and producer — is, of course, best known to Tolkien fans as Sam Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, but has also made his mark in a career spanning more than 70 films roles, including The Goonies, Toy Soldiers, 50 First Dates and as the indomitable, never-say-die working class hero of Rudy. He’s played a recurring guest role in the TV series 24 and has written and directed two short films — the academy award nominated Kangaroo Court and The Long And the Short Of It. And at this week’s TORn Tuesday, he’ll be talking about his latest projects — including his special endurance/fitness project Run3rd to promote the sport of running as he gears up to run his third LA Marathon. (If you’re already curious, hit up his official Twitter account!) Plus, he’ll be answering your questions! If you’re wondering how it all works, and how to submit a question for Sean, please read on below! Hall of Fire tomorrow. Movie Denethor: tragedy or travesty?Peter Jackson’s reconstruction of Denethor, the steward of Gondor remains one of the more controversial aspects of his adaptation of Return of the King. This weekend, Hall of Fire re-engages with an old question as we ask: “Movie Denethor: tragedy or travesty?”. Denethor II, the last ruling steward of Gondor is one of Tolkien’s most interesting characters — as flawed and tragic as some of the greatest heroes of the First Age. In his rivalry with Thorongil and Gandalf to his strained relationship with Faramir and a stewardship where he resorts to desperate acts to save Gondor, we see his pride, nobility, arrogance and, ultimately, his despair and madness. In Jackson’s live-action movie trilogy, Denethor (played by John Noble) is written differently — a weak ruler who passively (and even actively) works against Gondor’s defence. What are the successes and failures of Boyens and Walsh take on Denethor? Does the more dramatically shown antipathy of John Noble’s function better in film, even though it comes at the cost of some of the subtlety of the original? Pippin Took chat in Hall of Fire now!We about to begin this week’s Hall of Fire discussion. Our question today? Pippin Took: Bold, hard halfling or piece of luggage? Pippin, as Peregrin Took was universally known, was the youngest (and perhaps most reluctantly accepted) of the Fellowship. He was only twenty-eight when he set out with Frodo and Sam from Bag End on the first part of their great journey — quite young for a Hobbit. What does this say about the character of Peregrin Took? Come join our discussion by clicking the link below! We’re done for this week! Thanks to everyone who joined us! Hall of Fire chat: Pippin Took. Bold halfling or luggage?Elrond’s heart forbade him going with the Fellowship; Gandalf encouraged him to throw himself down a well as a preventative measure against stupidity. Tomorrow, in the Hall of Fire, we discuss Pippin Took: Bold, hard halfling or piece of luggage? Pippin, as Peregrin Took was universally known, was the youngest (and perhaps most reluctantly accepted) of the Fellowship. He was only twenty-eight when he set out with Frodo and Sam from Bag End on the first part of their great journey — quite young for a Hobbit. What does this say about the character of Peregrin Took? The final chapter of The Hobbit in Hall of Fire now!We’re just about to kick-off our discussion of chapter 19 of the Hobbit in the Hall of Fire. So come and join us and bring your thoughts as we wrap up our journey to there… and back again! We’re done. Thanks to everyone who came along! Hall of Fire concludes our Hobbit reading this weekend!“It was on May the First that the two came back at last to the brink of the valley in Rivendell…” At Hall of Fire, we’ve reached the end of our chapter-by-chapter read-through of the Hobbit. This weekend we’ll discuss the final chapter, touching on the return journey, the interlude in Rivendell, the final division of the troll hoard and the domestic chaos that Bilbo returns to. But we’ll also be asking ourselves some wider questions. How has Bilbo changed? Has he matured? Might he have stayed in Rivendell? What does it mean that he returns to Bag End? And how does Bilbo’s fate compare with that of the dwarves, and especially The Master? Join us on this Saturday, January 21, at 5pm EST when we’ll be examining all this and more as we wrap up our Hobbit read in Hall of Fire! TORn TUESDAYS Live Video Show Starts at 5pm Today!
Hall of Fire Hobbit teaser chat now!We’re just about to kick off our somewhat belated discussion of the Hobbit teaser trailer in The Hall of Fire. So, click the link below and join us as try to come up with a list five things we loved about the teaser trailer! We’re done. Thanks to everyone who joined us! Hall of Fire this weekend: five Hobbit teaser things!With the timing of Christmas and New Year, we never quite got round to discussing the Hobbit teaser trailer in the Hall of Fire. This weekend we’re going to remedy that with a special topic: five things we loved about the Hobbit teaser trailer! Join us on Saturday January 14 at 5pm EST when we’ll proceed to go a bit trailer crazy and gush about the things in the teaser that caught our attention. What was it for you? Maybe it was Gandalf in that mysterious location. Maybe it was Bag End! Maybe it was the dwarves singing. Maybe… maybe it was nothing! Whichever it was, be sure to join our special Hall of Fire chat on Saturday and let us know what you think! Hall of Fire Hobbit chat now!Come join us right now in the Hall of Fire as we chat about the events of the penultimate chapter of The Hobbit. Chapter 18: The Return Journey. Bilbo’s long quest is almost over, but who’s still standing at the end? And how has Bilbo changed? Just click the link below and come on in to join our discussion. We’re done, folks! Thanks to everyone who joined us. Next weekend’s topic: Five things you loved about the Hobbit teaser! See you then! |
  
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Join us today for Live chatting and mischief with Quickbeam! We have a very interesting subject today: DEBUNKING GANDALF / GALADRIEL ROMANCE RUMORS, among other things, illuminated by host Clifford Broadway on our streaming video show – You can also join the broadcast via our BARLIMAN’S CHAT built right into our Live Event Area — showtime today at approx. 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time!