This month we’re asking questions of self-described Online guy at Weta Workshop and all round top bloke, Magnus Hjert.

Kelvarhin: Thanks for joining us this month Magnus, as always we’ll start with grammas favourite question…

What was your favourite cartoon when you were growing up?

Magnus: I grew up in Sweden on a rich and varied comics diet consisting of Tintin, Asterix, The Phantom, Spirou et Fantasio, its spin-off Marsupilami, Iznogoud… but my all-time favourite (that I still read) is Tintin.

Kelvarhin: What was your favourite toy as a kid?

Magnus: My Märklin train set… it initially provided much entertainment for my father and uncle, as I believe I was about three when I got it for Christmas. But it was awesome when I was older and could build model buildings etc.

Kelvarhin: Some of the  TORNfolk (Tehanu, Garfeimao, deej and entmaiden) were in attendance to help Weta and the Neonatal Trust break the Guinness Record for most sandcastles built in an hour. They know that they built enough, but Guinness requires a lot of documentation and time to certify the results, and they’re wondering if you’ve gotten the official results from the world record Sandcastle Build last November?

Magnus: I don’t actually know the answer, but I promise I will find out from Martin Baynton, who is the main link between Adventure Wellington and Weta Workshop. I was on that beach myself, covering it on behalf of Weta. The event was organised by Adventure Wellington and Weta Workshop helped out with buckets and quite a few crew, including Richard, Tania and many others.

Kelvarhin: What is your favourite location in NZ?

Magnus: I’ve lived here now for 10 years and I have many favourites. But that’s a bit of a cop-out, so I will try to pick one.  To narrow it down little by little, the region called the Wairarapa is about 90 minutes’ drive away from Wellington and is predominantly a rural area, but with a twist – it’s one of New Zealand’s premier wine regions. Small towns that 50 years ago were as rural as rural can be have blossomed with the increased interest the wine has brought to the region. On the way to my favourite place, you pass through several of these, Featherston, Greytown, Carterton. When you get to Masterton, you take a right and head for the coast. And after driving through orchards and sheep stations, you get to Castlepoint. A Pacific beach community with a spectacular lighthouse and rock formations, a fantastic beach and a camping ground. And very little else. The weather is often unforgiving, but lying in a tent, listening to the ocean… it doesn’t get much better. Oh – I just realised you probably meant shooting location? Well, other than Hobbiton which is truly AWESOME, a favourite is the Dimholt Road/Paths of the Dead at Putangirua Pinnacles in… you guessed it: The Wairarapa.

Kelvarhin: What are your most favourite places, of all the places you’ve been to in the world?

Magnus: Monterey, California. Montpellier, France. London, England (lived there for 7 years). Copenhagen, Denmark (being from Malmo in Sweden, Copenhagen is a natural place to hang out – back then it was a 45 minute boat trip away. Now there’s a bridge…). And Wellington – on a good day…

Kelvarhin: What movies or television shows are you into right now, apart from The Hobbit?

Magnus: Star Trek: Into Darkness was awesome – I went with a band of colleagues and everyone was pretty much in agreement it was a great film. With two kids of 6 and 10 years, I watch a LOT of ‘children’s’ flicks – like Wall-e, How to train your Dragon (and Riders of Berk) and love it, but Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, House MD, Doctor Who, Sherlock and even the occasional UK detective show/murder mystery re-run like Midsomer Murders, Morse, Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot… I’m easy to entertain…

Kelvarhin: I’m a child of migrants, and I know you’re originally from Sweden, so I was wondering what inspired your move to New Zealand?

Magnus: I was dragged here kicking and screaming by my Kiwi wife… nah, it was actually the other way around. I get itchy feet staying in one place for too long and when we were living in London (where we met and wed) and expected our first child, we decided there were healthier places to bring up children than south London, so we chose New Zealand. Thinking we’d only be here for 4-5 years and then perhaps go to Sweden (where all my family is). But then I got my job at Weta – as close to my dream job as I’m ever likely to get – and we’ve now decided not to up-root the kids, but stay here for at least as long as they want to stay. Then we’ll see.

Kelvarhin: What was the most difficult thing about organising Wetas surprise for TORn’s 10th Anniversary?

Magnus: Getting everyone to the same courtyard at the same time. Gino from Weta Digital down the road, Richard Taylor from somewhere in the building, Guillermo del Toro from 3 Foot 7 and then getting the crew to pick up some props and waving them around. We had many false starts on different occasions, but in the end we got it together. Woohoo! Man, that seems like a long time ago now… I was very nervous directing Guillermo del Toro, but he was very good about it.

TORn 10th Anniversary Weta Video

Kelvarhin: How long have you been working for Weta Workshop and how did you come to be involved with them?

Magnus: I’ve been here since 2008 and I owe it to my sister-in-law who found the ad in the paper…

Kelvarhin:  Working for Weta sounds great, but being a marketing manager sounds like hard work… is the line between being on the job and dreaming sharp or fuzzy? Is there even a line?

Magnus: That’s a great question… I’m gonna have to think about that one… Right – I’m back after having answered a few other questions in the meantime. The answer is – there is no line… my job is a constant intertwinement of fantasy, fans, fiction, collectors, artists, logistics, writing and just saying ‘awesome’ a lot. Weta is not a normal workplace – we who work there tend to forget.

Kelvarhin: Within your position at Weta, you must have been involved with some very surreal situations (perhaps meeting certain people, taken part in certain events and so on). What is your most memorable moment?

Magnus: There are many… in my first week, one of the Workshop technicians, Jordan, drove up and down the road outside on his rocket powered bicycle. A few months later I was recording a sound bite with Bill Farmer (Goofy since 1986) on a podcast and suddenly Michael Winslow (officer Larvell Jones in Police Academy) chips in with a Mickey Mouse impersonation… And meeting Sir Ian McKellen – again for a podcast interview… it’s all a bit surreal in hindsight, but while you’re doing it… it’s fantastic.

Kelvarhin: What item do you like the most of all the items made by Weta? And why?

Magnus: Ooooooh – that’s a tough one. The Minas Tirith shooting miniature – I have never seen it in real life, but the impact it had on me in LOTR when I first saw it on screen… man! Barad-dûr and Orthanc likewise – I’ve seen both of them outside David Tremont’s workshop while he was working away on the collectible models. Of the things you can take home… Peter Lyon’s swords… probably Andúril… words cannot describe how epic they are and how powerful you feel with one in your hand.

Kelvarhin:  I have heard workers from Weta get a chance to buy the things they make (the collectibles). Have you ever not bought an item and later regretted that you didn’t get it? If yes, what was it, and why do you regret not getting it?

Magnus: Yes – I admit to being a complete sucker for Greg Broadmore’s rayguns… and my favourite is the Goliathon 83, which is now sold out. While it was still in stock, I couldn’t afford it. But if I ever get a chance to buy one…

Kelvarhin: What is it like seeing all these cool Collectibles before the fans get to see them? Also, how hard is it to hold that from the world?

Magnus: A) Orgasmic. B) Extremely.

Kelvarhin: If you were making a car commercial, what Weta Workshop items would you include?

Magnus: Rayguns – ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’. It’s a mantra in Ingolstadt as well as at Grordbort Industries. Although it would be in English undoubtedly. ‘Advantage through Technology’.

Kelvarhin: And lastly, if you were a dwarf in Thorin’s Company, which one would you be?

Magnus: Easy – Bombur. A little known fact is that I have “arse-modelled” for our Bombur collectible, showing the sculptors what it looks like when a fat guy runs… up and down the Weta Workshop car park. And Leaflock from The Shadow and Flame’s Weta collectors’ forum actually turned me into Bombur in the S&F Christmas card for Weta. So I feel a strong affinity with the guy. I have included the image Leaflock made.

As always thanks to all our message board regulars, DanielLB, SirDennisC, Ataahua, Elessar, Brethil, elaen32, entmaiden, dernwyn, Kaede, grammaboodawg and Rosie-with-the-ribbons, for this month’s questions.

If you would like to ask any questions yourself, just head over to our Message Boards, the sign up process is pretty painless. A lead post for questions is made at the beginning of each month on the Main board. Or you can just check Main for each months interviewee and email me your questions at kelvarhin@theonering.net.

Till next time from TORn’s resident Tiger.

Kelvarhin

Note: A photo gallery follows the text and videos, click for larger versions.

The mill at Hobbiton Movie Set

After all, Tourism New Zealand’s motto is “New Zealand is Middle-earth” and this is true in so many ways and for much longer than just the weeks after the debut of the film. For example, above is the video made for TORn by fellow filmmaker Dan McBride who shot and edited the video tour you probably have already watched. We, and a gaggle of other media, toured the Hobbiton Movie Set and witnessed Prime Minister John Key open the new Green Dragon building accompanied by a bunch of actors who reminded us a whole lot of a company of Dwarves. (Incidentally, we had just talked to him the day before so when he showed up again, we wondered why we were being followed and what we had done wrong.)

The video speaks for itself but this remarkable property is, as far as I know, unique in all the world for its ability to transport visitors inside a book, or a movie for that matter. Being there doesn’t feel like walking on a set, rather it feels like immersion. It looks, smells, sounds and feels like one imagines Hobbiton would if you could take a magic wardrobe to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The Hobbit holes scattered about are, more or less, as they were for filming of “The Hobbit,” movies. It seems safe to assume we will see more of The Shire in subsequent movies and in the Extended Edition on home video before the end of the year.

At the Green Dragon

Hamilton is also near with more accommodations and an airport. Not far from Auckland, 160 kilometers in fact, visitors can easily manage the two hour car ride. It goes without saying that driving through the countryside is spectacular as well. My dream would be to meet with TheOneRing.net staff and friends in The Green Dragon, which can be reserved for private functions. They serve food and drink and I just bet you can guess what size the ale comes in. Weddings have and will happen here. The atmosphere and the finish on the place are just as good as you hope they are. In truth, for movies fans and Tolkien fans, the entire movie set experience is simply magic.

Waitomo Caves Black Water Rafting

The region is full of food and drink, excellent accommodations and plenty more worth-while excursions. We will tackle them all in a future story. But add the farm visit and Waitomo Caves to your bucket lists. They really are wold-class destinations not to be missed but especially not by Tolkienites.

While you are here, please enjoy other videos from the premiere. First, actors talking about rings:

And Red Carpet highlights.

‘…There are Orcs, very many of them,’ he (Gandalf) said. `And some are large and evil: black Uruks of Mordor. For the moment they are hanging back, but there is something else there. A great cave-troll, I think, or more than one. There is no hope of escape that way…’

I think back on my relatively young life and can fondly recall a few events that I would consider highlights: My marriage to my beautiful wife; the birth of our daughter; TheOneRing.net Oscar Parties from 2002-2004; Finding my dream job with Sideshow; and that time I got to see 26 minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001. As you can read in my original report, I was blown away by the revelation of Peter Jackson’s vision of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen, especially when it came to the infamous Mines of Moria. Sure it was different from the books, but visual execution seemed to transmit my own visions of Middle-earth and put them on the big screen. So many years later, it is now my privilege to relive some of that sequence through the ‘Mines of Moria’ LEGO® Set, now available at most retailers.

As a preface to my review, I need to remind you all that I am not a LEGO® Set expert. My first experience with LEGO® Sets in many years was building the ‘Shelob Attacks‘ set I reviewed last month. So if I get some terminology wrong, please don’t hold it against me .

There are a few obvious differences between the  ’Shelob Attacks’ LEGO® Set and ‘The Mines of Moria.’ First, and most obvious, is that the set is much larger and more complex. Whether it is the ‘action’ elements in the gate and right side piece, or it is adding the detailing stickers just in the right place, you will find this set takes anywhere from 3-4 hours to piece together. Let me say…that is not a bad thing! I’m quickly finding myself addicted to the enjoyment and plain old fun of LEGO® Sets again! (After the break I’ve got 84 pictures of the set!)

Packaging: 5/5

As with the previous set, the ‘Mines of Moria’ LEGO® Set has the official LOTR logo, a background of the Middle-earth map, and the ominous Sauron finger with The One Ring. The front of the box showcases the various action elements and facial choices included with the set. I particularly like the Pippin ‘terror’ face as he knocks over the skeleton into the well, and the Cave Troll about to smash Gimli and Balin’s tomb. Legolas looks like he is about to pounce off the right wall element onto the Cave Troll’s head, and Boromir is defending against a Moria Orc. The back of the box features even more possibilities and a reminder about the upcoming LOTR LEGO® Video Game.

Inside the box are five packages of LEGO® bricks, marked to help you sort them, and not one, but two very in-depth instruction booklets. As you will see in the gallery below, I took some pictures of parts of these books that gave me a true giggle. First the big red x through the concept of unpacking your LEGO® pieces in the grass. I would imagine that is explicit, but hey, you never know. The second graphic is a sad face with a squinty-eye being hit by a black ball. I honestly didn’t ‘get’ what the graphic meant at first. After all, there were no small black balls in the set. But now I’m on board with the universal symbol that one of the action elements could project a LEGO® piece at your face and possibly damage your eye. Short of actually fast-balling the piece at someone’s face, I’m not sure that is a real worry, but I guess this is one of those cases where the lawyers got their way! ha!

But back to the instructions, they were very informative, clear and precise. If I had one complaint, it was I was not always sure which sticker went where on the set. Some are numbered, but not all of them are, and in some cases the drawings were not as clear as I had hoped. You’ll probably see some of the mistakes in my pictures below.

For as complex and time consuming as the process can be following these instructions, I have to give the packaging and internal materials a very high grade. This amateur LEGO® fan was able to do it on the first try!

Mini-figures (Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Pippin, Moria Orcs, Skeletons): 4.5/5

There are a lot of mini-figures in this set, and all have a bit of unique charm. The Skeletons that are included with the set are quite entertaining, considering they are simply skeletons! Their arms dangle freely and they have posable legs.

Pippin has a detailed body with a blue cloak and scarf. Like the hobbits in the ‘Shelob’ set, he has a cloak that can be found in the small square white box among the other pieces. (I only mention this because I took forever last time to make that discovery!) He has two facial expressions to choose from…I guess we could call one his ‘nervous’ face and the other his ‘terror’ face. Both are fun and express the character very well. He has a small sword as an accessory. The only oddity with Pippin is the fact that his legs don’t pose – not sure why that would be the case. We know he can run through Farmer Maggot’s fields pretty quickly!

Boromir does have posable legs with a detailed torso mimicking his costume in the films. Don’t forget to put on his cloak like I did! He comes with his sword and shield and also features two facial expressions: ‘Snear’ and ‘Intense Concentration.’ (Sorta like Blue Steel ) Of course he has orange/red hair and his face is detailed with a matching go-tee.

Gimli is shorter than the other figures and has a very detailed helmet. His beard, a separate element, hides his facial expressions, but you can get the general gist of his mood by the stern eyes. For some reason, Gimli is cursed with having non-posable legs. Again, I’m not sure why this would be, cause we all know he jumps around and fights with the best of them. His accessory axes are really well crafted, but ultimately they seem unwieldy and hard to pose. Since he doesn’t have the posable legs, it makes that a bit more challenging. But besides those minor setbacks, Gimli does have the Book of Mazarbul – a great little piece of detail that makes this set all the cooler.

The Moric Orc figures feature the armor as we see in the film and also the crazy faces, jet black hair and pointy ears that make them so distinctive from others of their race. The accessories that accompany them are notched and damaged to further maintain film accuracy. The head itself has the same expression on either side, so you won’t necessarily need to make a choice – you know, Orcs in general are always ‘angry’ face after all. The hair and ears are a single piece that fits on the head. While wrist articulation is available on all of these figures, it drew my attention on the Moria Orcs. Maybe it was the color difference between the body and the hands, but ultimately it makes for even more rewarding posing options.

Legolas is represented in his green cloak and has two faces: ‘intense’ and ‘pissed.’ (Obviously I’m assigning my own names at this point! Ha) He comes with a bow/arrow accessory that fits a bit awkwardly in his hand…I’m guessing that is just one of those things that can’t be technically executed in LEGO® form. Legolas’s hair and ears are also the same piece, like the Orcs, but as a result he can only truly ‘face’ forward. His hair prevents moving his head from side to side – again, just a technical limitation. I should note that Legola’s legs are posable, allowing him to jump on top of that nasty Cave Troll.

The only reason these figures don’t get a 5/5 is due to the non-posable legs on some and the unwieldy accessories for others. Expert LEGO® collectors probably will not have the same issues I had with posing.  Otherwise these figures are stand-alone awesomeness. I have them on my shelf above my computer!

Cave Troll: 5/5

The highlight of this set is the imposing Cave Troll. Ever since Boromir muttered, ‘They’ve got a Cave Troll!’ in the films, this monstrous beast became a fan favorite and a much anticipated sequence in The Fellowship of the Ring. The figure itself lives up to this excitement in LEGO® form. He appropriately stands taller than the other minifigures. His back, arms and scalp are detailed, with his face in permanent ‘angry’ mode. While his legs don’t move, he does feature articulated shoulders and wrists. He has space on his head to attach the chain accessory and wields a gigantic club. If you check out the ‘making of’ video at LEGO.com, with designer Hans Henrik Sidenius, you can see an early prototype version of the Cave Troll in grey. The final piece here is a blue/grey.

The Well: 5/5

‘Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!’ We all remember Gandalf’s rebuke of Pippin so very well. So it is no surprise to see that very well piece in The Mines of Moria, complete with bucket, chain and Skeleton. Of course, the well has a function to allow you to set up them all up nicely only to have them tumble noisily into the abyss. There are some detail stickers applied here as well as a yellowish crystal to accent the piece.

Main Gate: 5/5

When you think of the Balin’s Tomb scene in The Fellowship of the Ring, you most likely visualize the Fellowship facing the gate as it is barred and secured by Boromir and Aragorn. This LEGO® Set does a great job capturing that moment with highly detailed doors, as well as the ability to bar the gate closed with an additional axe accessory. Once built, the gate has some great stickers that further detail the gate with stones, cobwebs and of course, dwarven writing. What I found most interesting in building this set was how even the smallest pieces can provide that added level of detail/diversity to make the scene come alive. Whether it is the single beige accent on the floor or the LEGO® bricks that have literal brick ridges, every effort was taken to make the set piece feel authentic. The gate also features a break away portion to provide some dynamic play when the Cave Troll busts through the doors.

Overall: 5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed building this set. I think I have the LEGO® Set bug now…which is an expensive but rewarding habit to acquire! Ultimately, ‘The Mines of Moria’ delivers the goods when it comes to reliving the sequence from The Fellowship of the Ring. Whether it is imagining the action of a Cave Troll bashing through the gate, or Legolas leaping on top of the beast to finish him off, this set really does allow you to fully realize each moment from one of Fellowship’s most memorable sequences. I think it goes without saying that I highly recommend it to friends and family.

In the coming weeks we should have some more reviews for the other sets. They are all available to purchase now at LEGO.com: The Mines of Moria, Shelob Attacks, The Orc Forge, Gandalf Arrives, Uruk-hai Army, Attack on Weathertop, and The Battle of Helm’s Deep.

If you enjoyed this review, please do consider purchasing through the links above (That way LEGO will know you heard about them from us! ). Please also share your own thoughts and opinions on this set in the comments and on Facebook.

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The Mines of Moria LEGO® Set
Defeat the giant cave troll with 6 minifigures at The Mines of Moria, packed with realistic details, hidden features and action functions! Includes 6 minifigures: Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Pippin, Moria Orcs, Cave Troll. Now Available (links below). 776 pieces $79.99 USD

Purchase: The Mines of Moria

http://thelordoftherings.lego.com

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Calisuri is a co-founder and owner of TheOneRing.net. His views are not necessarily those of TheOneRing.net – odd, right? Considering he’s an owner? But no…that’s not always the case. He is a mid-range Tolkien fan with a knowledge of fandom that is just dangerous enough to get himself in trouble. 

…the most loathly shape that he had ever beheld…Most like a spider she was, but huger than the great hunting beasts…Great horns she had, and behind her short stalk-like neck was her huge swollen body, a vast bloated bag, swaying and sagging between her legs; its great bulk was black, blotched with livid marks, but the belly underneath was pale and luminous and gave forth a stench. Her legs were bent, with great knobbed joints high above her back, and hairs that stuck out like steel spines, and at each leg’s end there was a claw…

Shelob.

For every Tolkien fan, the name leaps from the pages (and screen) of Middle-earth to invade a commonly held fear in our everyday life – the fear of an impossibly large, eight-legged, creepy-crawly finding us in the dark. *shiver* According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that 55% of women and 18% of men are Arachnophobic. You can count me among those with a mild fear of spiders, which basically means I have to ‘act’ the role of father/husband when it comes disposing of them. I can’t very well unleash a high-pitched scream and run away now can I…

So when I first saw the ‘Shelob Attacks’ LEGO® Set at the 2012 Toy Fare, I have to admit…I was a bit creeped out. Yes, its LEGO® blocks, but the piece is still surprisingly life-like. In fact, one of the reporters getting the sneak peek at this set could not go within 5 feet of the display. Yes, he was that Arachnophobic!

Before we get to the meat of this review, I will warn you ahead of time, that I am in no way a LEGO® Set expert. To be honest, I haven’t touched the popular construction toys for possibly 10 years, so I’m a bit behind the times when it comes to the licensed themed sets. However, I can tell you, within 1 minute of opening the box, the wonderful memories of LEGO® set building came swooping back.

Packaging: 5/5

All of The Lord of the Rings LEGO® Sets follow a similar theme for their packaging, including the official logo, a background of the Middle-earth map, and the ominous Sauron finger with The One Ring. The front of the box features a very well composed image of the set, depicting the sequence from The Return of the King where Frodo is captured by Shelob and Sam rushes in to save the day. We of course also have Gollum lurking in the shadows of a LEGO® cave wall. The back of the box focuses on the diversity of the objects inside, including possible poses, accessories and action sequences. My particular favorite is Gollum leaping on top of Frodo, but the ‘hanging Shelob’ above Frodo shot is also quite intriguing. The back of the box also features a small plug for the upcoming LOTR LEGO® Video Game. (A game that many of us are highly anticipating!)

Inside the box are the packages of LEGO® bricks and a very in-depth instruction booklet. I was expecting the bags of LEGO® bricks to be organized into groups…you know, Hobbit pieces, Shelob pieces, etc…but from what I could tell they were not. The instruction booklet clearly outlined the process of building this set and was a godsend for a LEGO® newbie like myself. I can’t even imagine attempting to put this together without the booklet – in fact, I’m pretty sure its quite impossible.

Mini-figures (Frodo, Sam, Gollum): 4/5

The mini-figures are obviously a lot of fun. The head of Frodo and Sam both feature the ‘concerned’ and ‘angry’ face on opposites sides, so you can adjust the mood for your scene. Each has a cloth-like coat (they come in one of the little white boxes – I was looking forever for them) and each has a full detailed body torso. For Sam, you have his traveling gear, and for Frodo he’s wearing his red vest. The set comes with multiple copies of The One Ring, Sting and Sam’s sword. And of course, we have a very cool replica of the Phial of Galadriel to ward off Shelob. Gollum features on ‘angry’ face and comes with a fish.

I gave these figures a 4 out of 5 because I was a bit disappointed in two features. First, Gollum seemed a bit top-heavy and would topple over if you try to pose him in some unique ways with the fish. His articulation is limited to the arms. And second, both Frodo and Sam’s legs are static – with no articulation. I would have also liked to swap out Gollum’s face for this set.

Shelob: 5/5

It goes without saying that Shelob is the focus of this set. From her construction, to the very detailed body, LEGO® has gone above and beyond bringing us this monstrosity. I’m sure others could do it faster, but she took about 30-40 minutes to construct (using the instruction booklet) and I enjoyed every minute. The smallest of details are accounted for, including the face detail with the injured eye. The mechanism that drives the web/string works very well, and besides having to figure out how to tie a nice knot to both ends (I really should have observed more at Boy Scouts), you have quite a lot of string to reconstruct a scene. The added ‘hook’ at the end of the string seems to also work very well for dangling Shelob from a shelf. There is a gear system internally that is activated by a wheel under her belly – you simply turn the wheel and the string retracts. Shelob’s body articulation is a bit realistic freaky – from the full rotating ‘butt,’ to the eight dynamic legs, it just feels like you can make her handle any position. The only possible drawback I found is when trying to pose the base of the legs down more – they are limited in that respect.  Again, my inexperience with LEGO® sets could be at play here.

Gollum’s Leaping Platform: 5/5

I’m not sure what this is officially called, but the small wall and ‘launch’ pad for Gollum was easy to construct and simple enough to get the hang of using. It features two green vines and a small springboard for Gollum to leap off of onto Frodo (or Sam, or heck, Shelob!)

Overall: 5/5

For a small set, ‘Shelob Attacks’ packs a punch! From the first ever web function LEGO® spider, to the amazing accessories, this little set is well worth the cost and will provide you with hours of fun – from construction to play. If you personally don’t ‘play’ with LEGO® Sets anymore, I challenge you to give this one a shot. If you like The Lord of the Rings, and you don’t have an overwhelming problem with Arachnopobia, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how fun LEGO® Sets can be for ‘kids’ of all ages. I know this set is going to sit in a place of honor on a shelf in my office. However, if I notice Shelob’s leg out of position one day…I might just freak out a bit…

This set will be available in June at stores near you! Look for a post on TheOneRing.net as soon as online purchase options are available. And check out the gallery below for full pics including construction snap-shots and final pieces. And if you are wondering what else I’m about to review…you may see it in the background of some photos. Coming soon: ‘The Mines of Moria’ and they’ve got a LEGO® Cave Troll!

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Shelob™ Attacks LEGO® Set
Plotting to reclaim The One Ring, Gollum lures Frodo into the lair of the ancient giant spider, Shelob. Will Shelob cast her web and capture Frodo or can Samwise Gamgee rescue him in time? Includes 3 minifigures: Frodo, Samwise Gamgee, Gollum. Available June 2012. 227 pieces $19.99 USD

Official Website for The Lord of the Rings LEGO Sets – http://thelordoftherings.lego.com

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Calisuri is a co-founder and owner of TheOneRing.net. His views are not necessarily those of TheOneRing.net – odd, right? Considering he’s an owner? But no…that’s not always the case. He is a mid-range Tolkien fan with a knowledge of fandom that is just dangerous enough to get himself in trouble. 

On The Hobbit Movie Discussion Board, DarkJackal wondered about the Arkenstone.  Will it be included in the film?  That stirred other wonderings about Rings and Swords and such.  What do you think?  Share your insights here.

There was also discussion on any possible Rivendell Re-design as poster DanielLB compared the original pictures with those found on The Hobbit trailer.  What do you think?  New stuff?

TORn poster alienorchid brings the area surrounding Edoras to life with pictures from a recent trip to the location where the Realm of the Rohirrim was shot.  Come see the stunning shots and get a feel of the entire land.

We’ll share more topics next week and hope you can join in on the conversation!  Don’t forget, TheOneRing.net’s message boards have over 7,600 registered Tolkien fans, just like you.  Let your voice be heard!

Julie and her daughter at Queenstown Feb 2012 Tour

It’s based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.

This month we’re asking questions of Red Carpet Tours Julie James.

Hi Julie, and thanks for taking part this month.

Me:  What would be your top 3 desert island DVD’s, excluding LOTR (assuming of course it would be in your top 3), and why?

Julie:  Well Kel if I can’t have LOTR …. The original Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I was 9 when the first film came out and it changed my world. My bedroom walls were covered in Star Wars posters – a devoted fan!

Me: I was 10 when the original Star Wars came out and my bedroom walls were just the same. I still have some of my original Star Wars figures too. And now my boys are really into it, the saga continues

Me:  What was the path you took, in getting into this line of work?

Julie:  I have always been a keen traveller and like most Hobbits I enjoy new adventures. After years in the corporate world I was lucky enough to join my family’s company ‘ Red Carpet Tours’.

Me:  Do you feel isolated from the rest of the world, living Down Under? Or do you like being a bit separated from the rest of humanity’s noise? Is living in Middle-earth a bonus?

Julie:  Having travelled overseas I can appreciate the natural raw unspoiled beauty New Zealand has to offer and enjoy sharing the wonderful locations Sir P.J choose for the LOTR trilogy and the new Hobbit films. I don’t feel isolated, as we have our own community of countries with Australia and the beautiful Pacific Islands.

Me:  What is your biggest or most irrational fear?

Julie:  Spiders and most bugs, they should all be harpooned.

Me:  What was your favourite cartoon as a child?

Julie:  Top Cat

Me:  What is it like travelling with LOTR-fans from all over the world? The general impression with most non-LOTR fans is that they are all geeks who walk around the entire day dressed up as Elves and Hobbits continuously quoting Tolkien. But what is it like in reality?

Julie:  It is something very special to be part of a Fellowship. The amazing thing is that we start off as many different people from different walks of life and by the end of the journey we are firm friends. These friendships then carry on via Face Book in our Red Carpet Tours page and my Hobbits chat room.

Me:  Your tours look really awesome! So, if there were similar tours of other film locations, what film-related tour would you like to take?

Julie:  For me LOTR and The Hobbit capture such awesome locations and really showcase the beauty of New Zealand, far more comprehensively than any other film shot here thus far.

Me:  All of the following questions were submitted by just one of our Message Board members, Bombadil, and I felt he deserved a section all to himself

Bombadil:  Must see sites, like the First Location where the Hobbits encounter the Nazgul. Isn’t that in a City Park nearby?

Julie:  Wellington location.

Bombadil:  Oueenstown locals, any Hobbity stores, I’ve heard there are many.

Julie:  Dart Stables ‘Ride of the Rings’ and many, many more!

Bombadil:  Should I rent a car there to go Deer Park Heights.

Julie:  Unfortunately Deer Park Heights is closed to the public and Tour operators.

Bombadil:  Matamata, of course…How far should I book ahead? I’m sure there will be a crush of visitors like me there from all around the World trying to get in, then.

Julie:   Matamata: We generally book 1 – 2 days in advance unless we have a very large group.

Bombadil:  Did they REALLY put up a Wellywood sign, or was that ruse?

Julie:  Wellywood sign was an idea that never really took off thanks to the powers that be in Hollywood.

Bombadil:  Is there a Zoo where I can see Kiwis?

Julie:  Kiwis are nocturnal creatures that can be seen best in Rotorua’s Fairy Springs night Tour or Queenstown’s Kiwi House.

With all your questions Bombadil I suggest you take our 14 Day LOTR/Hobbit Tour.

Many thanks, from Julie James / Red Carpet Tours – happy to answer any questions you have via Face Book or our websites contact page

 Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit filming locations with Red Carpet Tours, Contact Us

www.redcarpet-tours.com

Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit filming locations in New Zealand with Red Carpet Tours.

If you’d like to meet Julie in person or any of the rest of the wonderful team at Red Carpet Tours their new 14 Day LOTR/Hobbit Tours run every month. If you’re planning on being in New Zealand for The Hobbit Premiere why not join the 14 Day Hobbit Premiere Tour for an amazing Hobbity experience

Thanks also go to our Message Board regulars, DanielLB, dernwyn, Lily Fairbairn, Ataahua, grammaboodawg, Rosie-with-the-ribbons, zarabia and Bombadil who provided this months questions.

Till next month from TORn’s resident tiger, Kelvarhin

I haven’t seen an insect weta before in my travels (until this trip, but not this story) but I have plenty of experience with the folks who run and work at the special effects shop who identify themselves as “wetas”. Several Comic-Cons, (including the 2011 edition in San Diego) lots of emails and various TORn functions have made the crew at Weta Workshop friendly acquaintances if not just plain old friends.

My time in Wellington would need to include a visit of some kind with the very busy people who are working on The Hobbit, but as I have often joked (even though it is at least partially true) Weta’s second best talent is making special effects for movies. What they are really best at is keeping secrets from TheOneRing.net. I had no illusions that anybody was going to tour me around the workshop (I asked anyway, just in case) during the height of The Hobbit production, but they were kind enough to invite me along to a group they were hosting from a cruise ship that included one of our own message board members. (Her identity is her own to reveal.)

The great thing about Weta’s secret keeping is since I did visit, and they are beyond reproach, if data does fall into my hands or comes to us through our spy network, nobody will think Weta has a leak. It definitely does not.

The scope of Weta and what it does is slightly confusing for the public. Weta Workshop, where we visited, handles concept work for films, many of which never reach the screen. They produce and parade conceptual design in front of directors and studios, often aiding with pitches designed to attract investors. They also produce physical things that you can — and really want to — hold and touch but for film. Helms and ray guns and costumes and swords are all achieved with a high degree of craftsmanship and they build and dress sets and do all the physical stuff for movies.

Weta Digital, housed in a completely different building and a different company, does just what its name suggests: make digital stuff that you can never actually touch. Its specialty is making things on screen appear real even though they aren’t with the added trick of us not being able to see what is genuine and what is computer generated. Much of what they make could have been designed by Weta Workshop kids in a drawing or a sculpt and often both, but the artists and wizards at the digital side make computer pixels take on dimension and life. And, they also work on completely different projects at times.

I believe Weta Digital are good at a lot of things but are supreme at living creatures with skin and hair. In my probably biased opinion, there isn’t a match for their finished products on characters like King Kong or Gollum and the menagerie of creatures in Avatar and more familiar animals like the latest Planet of the Apes. The new Tintin film, while not meant to quite be “real” is a beautiful example that is a wonderful showcase of how masterful Weta Digital is.

There are other divisions in the special effects army: Park Road Post is a place to take a film through the post production and it’s just down the road too.

Anyway, we visited the public corner of Magical-Special-Effects-Land that is housed around Weta Workshops. I have been there before and I know how fun the Weta Cave is, full of its props and replicas and ceiling art and its 25-minute movie. I have also sat in the board room / meeting room and I was surprised to find myself there again, along with Tehanu, hosting the good people who have been sailing around the oceans.

It is stuffed with replica collectibles and awards of all kinds including five from The Academy. It is a fun and impressive room.

A Comic-Con panel from the past, L to R: Chris / Calisuri, Larry / MrCere, Richard Taylor, Keith Stern, Cliff / Quickbeam

Later, Tehanu and I spent a while in the Weta Cave with any of the public who wanted to have a chat but she was obligated to get the tour back to its ship so I went it alone with the good souls who turned up to say hi. A gentleman by the name of Magic, in particular, is a dreamer and a guy who drinks life to the lees and I like that and wish him well. (Big thanks to the Weta Cave for hosting the event!)

I carved out, or rather was granted, half an hour with Richard Taylor as well. Turns out he hears voices in his head constantly and once, maybe twice during our interview, he talked back to them. The workshop now is connected with earpieces with about 14 supervisors constantly talking back and forth, freeing the team leaders from the need to relocate constantly to have discussions or give updates. They just talk remotely instead and Taylor managed to track that and still listened keenly and responded intelligently to TheOneRing.net. I will write at length later, but in the very real sense of the word, and not in some hyperbolic way and with no exaggeration, the man is a genuine genius — and caring and warm.

I have interviewed rock stars and movie stars and authors and politicians and heads of religions but Taylor is on another level completely. I also loved that he was obviously still working with his hands and participating in the shop. He isn’t a guy in a suit telling people what to do; he is with them in the trenches. That interview splits nicely into two parts so I will post them like that. The Tintin part of the conversation has some urgency because of release of that film (with that one teaser trailer attached). The trailer was only a day or two old when I was at the workshop and of course now has been shown three times to a rabid response in Austin.

My biggest regret is that I missed hearing from Tania Rodger, Richard’s partner who is an unsung hero of the shop. The cruise ship contingent hopefully savored that rare experience while I was out for a few minutes and missed it. That is about all I can actually write about Weta day at the moment, but trust me, a stop there is an absolute must visit in Wellington.

It is pretty important while in Wellington for me to participate in what any visitor might and especially activities with a Lord of the Rings slant. The city is one of my favorites around the world, situated as it is on a bay of great natural beauty. I like the size because it feels pretty easy to get to know, but it has the advantages of a big city’s variety with excellent food and lots of travelers and plenty of full-time residents and all kinds of attractions.

This trip I enjoyed walking around the city and thumbing through vinyl records (ask your parents if those foreign objects are unfamiliar to you) checking out a variety of automobile dealerships including an upholstery shop with some interesting old cars, a comic book shop and a burrito joint with great architecture and melted candles. The nightlife here is crazy, including the Saturday morning I woke up early and discovered the Friday night revelry with its thumbing bass and cocktails hadn’t ended as I sought out breakfast.

It also, with its proximity to Peter Jackson’s filmmaking empire, was an important area in the making of The Lord of the Rings, but not just because of the production and effects studios across the harbor. I ended up heading out with
Wellington Rover on its half-day tour to make a visit to filming locations. I could have driven to them all if I knew exactly where they were and how to get there but for visitors it is a pretty tall order and a couple of the places require some imagination to see without a helpful guide like Jack. I would have loved to do the whole-day tour but time is short here in the capital city and I had many things I needed to sample.

After a mix-up, the tour van snagged me and we were off. A friendly tour guide named Jack introduced himself and the couple on the tour and we were off. The tours want to keep things small which really enhances the experience. But this guide Jack seemed to know a lot about me from the start and just as it was dawning on me that there was more to this guide than meets the eye, he revealed that he was the same gentleman Jack that I was scheduled to have a meet with in a cafe that very night along with TORn founder Tehanu. Awesome!

He has been giving tours for years and has done a whole lot of them. He lives in the Wellington area and shares a passion for film and for Middle-earth. Guide Vic James of Red Carpet Tours and a friend of TORn has the most tenure but Jack M. sometimes does two tours a day and several a week so its difficult to imagine anybody who has seen more people or talked LOTR with more people in person than Jack in the last decade. He also writes the Noldor Blog where he keeps his ear on the ground in Wellywood and reports what he hears. I was definitely in good hands.

He jokes around a lot, which is a great way to break barriers with strangers, even shy ones. I tend to observe more, especially when I will be writing about an experience, but with questions or comments that invite response, Jack is skilled at drawing people out. And, for any two people with LOTR connections, it is pretty easy to find common ground.

One aspect of the experience I found fascinating was that the folks with me on the trip weren’t hardcore Tolkienites. In fact, far from it: they were fairly casual movie viewers who had never cracked a book, had not watched the extended editions and certainly may not recall the difference between Eomer and Eowyn while on a tour. The idea that only big time geeks would be interested in a tour is wrongheaded. The cultural impact of LOTR on New Zealand was illustrated for me once again as it has been many, many times during my two week tour. Practically a marketing slogan but definitely the truth: New Zealand is Middle-earth.

I don’t want to give a play-by-play of the tour because its just better to discover it for yourself but Jack drove us around the Wellington area and showed us locations where cameras and actors once stood along with fake trees in forests, the last Homely House and Gandalf’s riding path to Isengard.

What must be mentioned is Jack’s knowledge of the sites and his clever presentation. He brought photos in organized booklets from either the production (some courtesy of TheOneRing.net archives!) or screen captures from the films to help us recognize places where our imaginations couldn’t quite make the leap or memories failed. This made everything easy and fun and then his own knowledge and humor supplemented everything.

We ended up visiting several sights that included the “get off the road!” path, Frodo in a tree chatting with Sam and tumbling Hobbits and their stolen vegetables, among others. We also spotted Anduin, Isengard and followed the signs to what once was Rivendale. The nation of New Zealand is quite content to mostly let the places stand without marking them or, when it does make a formal note, it’s all usually quite subtle but of course our guide knew all the spots.

He also put visitors in the right spots, sometimes with props, and took pictures of them so that they returned home with photo-treasures to show Mom and friends and LOTR geeks that they have stood exactly where actors stood. He even created a forced perspective shot that I wish I had replicated in retrospect. (Sorry world!)

In short, the tour was great and or visitors to Wellington with even slight interest in films or LOTR or The Hobbit, should consider it a “must” event. He also gifted a Daniel Reeve created map that really ended the half day quite nicely.

Sadly, that evening, I didn’t meet up with Jack at the Embassy theater café as planned (my fault and misfortune) but because of the tour, I was fortunate enough to meet one of the people actively promoting and protecting the legacy Lord of the Rings had on NZ. Tehanu and I still managed to chat about the little website started 12 years ago and the period when she was a media superstar and TORn kept growing bigger and bigger, always beyond what its founders envisioned.

Both of us chuckled that many readers and users of the site might not even know who she is today or what she did. Expect a story soon.

Now its off to the South Island to drive down the west coast of this amazing nation and see what I can see before I climb back on the plane and go home and figure out the next part of life. Lots of posts remain, but feel free to send interesting ideas, job offers or dinner / hotel tips to MrCere@TheOneRing.net. In New Zealand? You can reach me at: 022 1565 822.