More confirmation that Viggo was in Wellington recently, some good news about one Lothlorien location visited by Flat Earth Tours and Red Carpet Tours, and other tid-bits of news from this blogger that’s got his finger on Wellywood’s pulse. Read More.
Check out The Noldor Blog, written by a Wellington-based LOTR tour operator who hears all sorts of interesting rumours. He can expand on Red Carpet Tours’ discovery that Viggo had been in New Zealand on film work recently. If you read down to here you’ll see a spy report suggesting Viggo will be in both Hobbit movies and reprise his role as a Dunedain protecting the Shire.
The latest Red Carpet tour had the worst weather ever, but they did get to pick up a couple of LOTR rumours on their way round the country. Viggo had recently visited the stables where the LOTR stars worked on their riding skills and kept their horses, and he also dropped in to his favourite Wellington steak house, the Green Parrot, according to staff there. He was able to say that he was in New Zealand on movie business, but wouldn’t say more….
Where in the world is Viggo Mortensen? Ringer spy Guillermo sends us word that Mortensen has been spotted in Asuncion Paraguay. He isn’t there to promote anything but the LOTR Ranger is just that famous with his next film “The Road,” set for an October release. Here is a link to an article in Spanish that you can translate. Guillermo says, “Viggo came to Asunción to work with some friends in the process of writing a new book. He didn’t expect a lot of press here, so he didn’t talk too much about the book or anything else.”
“Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings” are two of the most widely appealing film series in history. While they share many common elements, there is little argument that knights and swords sit at the core of each. The Jedi masters and their sabers - the weapon passed from father to son - share many common elements with Aragorn and his ancestral heirloom weapon in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
The sword, in whatever form, remains an important feature in cultures around the globe. It remains a symbol of the warrior in an age when many of us never need to fight anybody. Daniel McNicoll has directed a documentary, “Reclaiming The Blade,” that explores the sword and its standing in contemporary society and uses many examples from popular culture to do it. Read the rest of this entry »
“Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings” are two of the most widely appealing film series in history. While they share many common elements, there is little argument that knights and swords sit at the core of each. The Jedi masters and their sabers - the weapon passed from father to son - share many common elements with Aragorn and his ancestral heirloom weapon in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
The sword, in whatever form, remains an important feature in cultures around the globe. It remains a symbol of the warrior in an age when many of us never need to fight anybody. Daniel McNicoll has directed a documentary, “Reclaiming The Blade,” that explores the sword and its standing in contemporary society and uses many examples from popular culture to do it. Read the rest of this entry »
Chrissy Iley writes: He turned a brutal Russian gangster into a near hero in Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises, but can he do the same for a seductive Nazi in his latest movie, Good? Viggo Mortensen talks to Chrissy Iley about passion, poetry and his performance in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. One of the things that has always fascinated me about Viggo Mortensen is the way he does ambiguity. The way he can look cruel and gentle at the same time. The way he can embrace extremes of danger and empathy.
In Good his ambiguity excels itself. He’s a Nazi you can’t hate because you understand him. You warm to him, even. He’s vulnerable, he’s vain. He has been gradually seduced into the Nazi movement. He couldn’t help himself. Sympathy for the devil
Well, its April 3rd and that means it is time to announce the winner of the ‘Reclaiming the Blade’ Giveaway! As you know, TheOneRing.net teamed up with Galatia Films to celebrate the DVD release of ‘Reclaiming the Blade’ by giving away the ‘Late 15th Century Bastard Sword’ from Albion Swords! Entering the contest was easy via email or on our message board. We collected near a thousand entries and the randomly chosen winner is…
Patricia Lozon
Congrats to Patricia! We’d like to thank all of those who entered our giveaway. Your participation ensures we will do these types of giveaways in the future! And don’t forget to support our sponsor Galatia Films by purchasing your copy of ‘Reclaiming the Blade’ asap! [Contest Page] [Pre-Order the DVD]
Viggo Mortensen should be happy. His past three movies have been critical smashes. He snagged a Best Actor Oscar nomination for one of them (Eastern Promises). And he played the title role in the 11-time Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, the last in the most financially successful movie trilogy of all (current global box-office takings: nearly £2 billion). In short, he has finally arrived. And yet, ironically, just when he should, in his own words, “be making hay”, the 50-year-old star is abandoning the movie business. “In the past week I’ve been from LA to Japan to Korea to Poland to here,” he hisses, describing in near disbelief the travel itinerary for his current promotional tour. “It’s ridiculous! It’s not a healthy way to be. But, as it happens, I’m taking measures to change that.” Which are? “No more movies. I haven’t said yes to one in over a year. I’ve been in all these well-received movies and it seems like I should be doing some more, but there’s other things I want to do. It’s not the right time.” Viggo Mortensen: first Good - and then goodbye?