1. The myth: Peter Jackson discovered The Lord of the Rings when he bought a paperback copy to read on a train ride. He became an obsessive fan and later came up with the idea to make film adaptations.

Why we think it’s true: the publicity materials for film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

But actually: According to Jackson himself in his authorized biography, he was introduced to The Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi’s film adaptation. He then bought a copy of Tolkien’s book that was a tie-in to the film (with Bakshi’s art on the cover). While Jackson did enjoy the book, he hardly became an obsessive fan. After reading it once, he set it aside and never bothered to read the book again… until his wife suggested it might be a good source for a fantasy film in 1995.

2. The myth: New Line Cinema made three Lord of the Rings films because there are three books.

Why we think it’s true: Logic, the DVD bonus materials

But actually: The number of books didn’t factor into the decision.

You’ve probably heard the story: Jackson was preparing to make two The Lord of the Rings films for Miramax when he was asked to condense everything into one film to save money. Jackson went to New Line Cinema to plead with them to buy-out the project and make two films instead of one. Bob Shaye, head of New Line Cinema, replied:

“Why would I want to do two films? There are three books. Why not do three films?”

It’s a good story, but there’s one problem: Bob Shaye himself has said that it’s bunch of baloney. “I didn’t say, ‘Aren’t there three books’ or whatever,” Shaye later said in an interview for the book, Peter Jackson: A Film-Maker’s Journey. Shaye was thinking more in terms of business than in terms of Tolkien. “I was cognizant of my discussions with Michael Lynn about our need for sequels. I knew that, after conferring with Michael… we were going to make three films.”

“Bob was getting pretty excited,” New Line executive Mark Ordesky said about the meeting, “because he sees what Peter was saying artistically, but because he’s also seeing three video releases, three network television sales…”

Interestingly, turning The Lord of the Rings from two films to three films would turn out to be quite the challenge for the writers. (In retrospect, maybe four would have been better!) But regardless, New Line Cinema was having trouble making sequels to their more successful films, and when Shaye saw an opportunity, he pounced on it – regardless of how many books Tolkien used to tell the tale.

3. The myth: While shooting at the Bag End set, Ian McKellen accidentally hit his head on the rafters. Because it was a funny moment, and McKellen gamely kept going with the scene, Jackson decided to keep it.

Why we think it’s true: Jackson says so himself in the DVD commentary.

But actually: McKellen himself addresses the issue on his website, writing “Peter, for once, is wrong. The head-banging was my idea but I’m glad if it seemed spontaneous, the aim of all actors.”

4. The myth: Jackson pays homage to Ralph Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings with a scene where the hobbits hide under the roots of a tree.

Why we think it’s true: It’s not in the books, yet it’s in both the animated and live action adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring.

But actually: The story is a little more complex.

It is true that this manner of hiding is not in Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring. Near the beginning of the book, the hobbits do hide from a “black rider” (twice). In their first encounter, Pippin and Sam hide in a hollow away from the road (Merry is not present) and Frodo hides next to a tree – though not under its roots:

“Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots.”

The second encounter is similar (which is probably why both film adaptations condense it to one):

“They had no time to find any hiding-place better than the general darkness under the trees. Sam and Pippin crouched behind a large tree-bole, while Frodo crept back a few yards towards the lane.”

So the idea of the hobbits hiding under the roots of a tree with the Black Rider peering overhead, (and the iconic framing,) is an invention of Bakshi’s film. In 1985, a young artist by the name of John Howe used the scene as a basis for a painting. On his website, he says, “This painting was inspired by the Bakshi movie, where the Hobbits cower under a tree root as the Black Rider seeks them. I thought it was the best scene in the movie, and it must have trod a path in my subconscious, as it certainly is nowhere to be found in the Fellowship of the Ring. After a long hike on the West Coast Trail of Vancouver Island, I returned with exactly this photo – minus the hobbits and the Ringwraith, of course, and painted it for my own pleasure.”

The painting subsequently appeared in the 1987 J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar and caught the attention of Peter Jackson. Later, when Jackson was making his Lord of the Rings movies, he showed his people John Howe’s work: “Peter so enjoyed a beautiful painting that John Howe had done,” Richard Taylor later said, “that all of our brief and the Art Department’s brief was to try and generate the very feeling of this painting.” (In fact, Jackson even had a tree imported to the path just for the scene.)

And so in the end we actually have Jackson’s interpretation of Howe’s interpretation of Bakshi’s interpretation of Tolkien. And the best part is, the scene really works!

5. The myth: For the battle of Helm’s Deep in the animated Lord of the Rings, director Ralph Bakshi used footage from the 1938 historical drama Alexander Nevsky.

Why we think it’s true: The internet says it’s so.

But actually: It’s a mix-up of information.

Director Ralph Bakshi did indeed use footage of Alexander Nevsky (which wasn’t a legal issue, because the film is in the public domain) but not for The Lord of the Rings. He rotoscoped the footage for his 1977 film Wizards after 20th Century Fox refused to increase the film’s budget to allow him to animate the battles in a traditional way. The film was a success, and after this positive experience with rotoscoping, Bakshi decided to use it extensively his Lord of the Rings movie; but all the live action was shot by Bakshi himself in Spain. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the money to animate all the shots, so he resorted to posterizing some of the footage (mostly in the second half of the film) instead.

6. The myth: After Bakshi’s film failed at the box office preventing a “Part 2″, Rankin/Bass decided to finish up the story with their version of “The Return of the King”.

Why we think it’s true: The internet, the media, and common sense

But actually: This is one time common sense will work against you.

Heck, we all know critics and fans hated Bakshi’s film. We all know he didn’t make a Part 2 and that Rankin/Bass stepped up to the plate with their own sequel. It’s not hard to read between the lines and guess what happened.

But the truth is stranger than fiction.

To begin with, and this is going to be the opposite of what you’ve always heard, Bakshi’s film was actually a box office success.

“The theatrical release in 1978 had a domestic total gross of nearly $90 million at the box office,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing said in a press release to announce the film’s release on Blu-ray.

Actually, Amit, it was more like $30 million. But considering the film’s budget was $6 million and that the movie made some additional money overseas, it’s safe to say the film turned a healthy profit and was a success by 1978’s standards.

Whatever the case, “Part 2″ was never made, opening the door for Rankin/Bass… except that Rankin/Bass was already in the room, so to speak. A year before Bakshi’s LOTR film was finished, and before anyone had yet seen the Rankin/Bass adaptation of The Hobbit, Rankin/Bass was already hard at work on The Return of the King. From the November 27, 1977 edition of the New York Times:

“We will go on to complete our next Tolkien work, which will continue the characters we have established in ‘The Hobbit,’ and will be adapted from ‘The Hobbit’ and the last book in the Ring trilogy, ‘The Return of the King.’ At this point we are scripted, the music is composed and recorded, our backgrounds are painted, the sound track is partially completed, and new characters are designed-such as Frodo Baggins.”

It’s really bizarre when you think about: there were two different animation studios working on The Lord of the Rings at the same time, and for a period it looked like they were both going to be adapting the same material at the same time. Yet the movie that actually makes millions of dollars gets no sequel, and meanwhile the other guys do The Return of the King as a sequel to The Hobbit simply because it sounds like a good idea. If it seems like some crazy person was involved, I’ll remind you that the guy who held (and still holds) the film rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is the same guy who once sued John Fogerty for sounding too much like Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Whatever the case, the result is interesting: the independent choices of all parties involved coincidentally led to two animated Lord of the Rings movies by two different studios covering different ground, yet the two movies nearly dovetail and form a Part 1 and Part 2.

7. The myth: Cameron Rhodes plays Farmer Maggot in The Fellowship of the Ring movie.

Why we think it’s true: The film’s credits, Wikipedia, TheOneRing.net

But actually: someone else plays Farmer Maggot

It sounds like the ultimate imposter caper, something out of “Catch Me if You Can”: this guy, Cameron Rhodes, has fooled the media into believing he’s “Farmer Maggot” in the Lord of the Rings films, and now he’s able to work the convention circuit and sign autographs for $10 a pop.

Actually, this isn’t a case of someone who had nothing to do with The Lord of the Rings movies sponging off their success. (That’s my territory, darn it!) Rhodes, in fact, was bought on board the Lord of the Rings film project before Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and most of the other actors. Early on, Jackson needed voice actors for a first pass at the script, and he had Cameron Rhodes (as well as Craig Parker and Peter Vere-Jones) record an audio version his Lord of the Rings. Rhodes was later cast as a hobbit in The Fellowship of the Ring, with a part that was derived from Farmer Maggot’s story in the book . Flanked by his dog, the character tells a Black Rider, “There’s no Bagginses around here. They’re all up in Hobbiton. That way!”

Here’s the problem: Rhodes’s character, which seems awfully young to be the curmudgeon, old farmer from the book, is never actually named in the film.

I can hear it now: “J.W, you’re being silly! Just because he’s not named doesn’t mean he hasn’t got a name. After all, Lurtz’s name is never spoken in the film either, but he’s still Lurtz.”

That is true, but there’s also this: later in the film, another character based on Farmer Maggot is introduced. He’s called Farmer Maggot, and he is a curmudgeon, old farmer, and he’s not played by Cameron Rhodes. He’s played by a scythe… and the voice of supervising sound editor Mike Hopkins (who sounds quite different than Rhodes). This is like the reverse of a composite character: we’ve taken a character from the book and given him two different parts! We could, perhaps, say that Hopkins is Farmer Maggot Senior and Rhodes is Farmer Maggot Junior (or just pretend they’re the same character) but there’s really nothing in the film to indicate this. Moreover, if there’s only to be one actor credited as Farmer Maggot, wouldn’t it be common sense to credit the guy who’s actually identified in the film as Farmer Maggot?

Well, there’s the catch. You see, credits don’t really exist for the sake of the audience (as this whole section illustrates: it’s unlikely anyone would say to themselves, “I wonder who plays that hobbit with the dog? Maybe he’s the son of that farmer hobbit and shares his name. Maybe I’ll just look for that other hobbit’s name, it will tell me who played his son.”) The real reason credits exist is because they are, along with monetary compensation, part of the agreement between a studio and the cast and crew. Simply put, New Line Cinema agreed to credit Rhodes as Farmer Maggot. This also allows him to credit himself as “Farmer Maggot” at appearances. And the truth is that Rhodes has a substantial enough part to deserve recognition. (Isn’t his contribution to the film fabulous?) Meanwhile, Mike Hopkins probably saw his voiceover in the film as part of his duties as Supervising Sound Editor, for which he’s given proper credit. So it all works out in the end. But that said, Mike Hopkins – who sadly died in a rafting accident in December – will always be Farmer Maggot to me.

8. The myth: While shooting a scene for the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, Sean Astin cut his foot on a shard of glass.

Why we think it’s true: It’s mentioned in all the bonus materials and you can read about it all over the internet.

But actually: While Astin did cut his foot, nobody was able to find the sharp object. (For those of you who live in New Zealand, what an opportunity this gives you! If you can find the object in question, you’ll have a great piece of film memorabilia. Maybe Mr. Astin will even sign it for you.) In his book, There and Back Again: An Actor’s Tale, Astin talks about what happened: “When the crew prepared the lake for this scene, they ran a rake along the bottom to smooth and make sure nothing was there. Unfortunately, they might have churned something up that was buried. Also, I was putting such force into the way I was marching into the water, while wearing just my hobbit feet, that anything with a sharp tip was going to do some damage.” While we’ll probably never know what the object really was, Astin has speculated that it might have been a branch – something the crewmembers might have overlooked before and after the accident in their search for a something sharp.

9. The myth: New Line Home Entertainment ripped off the fans by releasing two different DVD sets for each LOTR film.

Why we think it’s true: After we all bought the first DVD set, New Line released a better one.

But actually: New Line released the DVDs in a very fan friendly way

People are still mad about this one. The most popular review of The Hobbit on DVD and Blu-ray at amazon? A two star rating berating Warner Brothers: “As with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Warner Bros. is trying to stick it to the consumer again by hoping people will buy both versions.”

Setting aside that Warner Brothers had nothing to do with The Lord of the Rings extended editions, let’s take a look at what actually happened:

Back in 2000 and 2001 two things happened simultaneously: DVD players began sweeping over the world, replacing video cassette recorders, and Jackson’s first Lord of the Rings film was taking shape. Jackson and New Line Cinema looked at the situation and, in an epiphany, realized that they were now going to be releasing The Lord of the Rings films into two different markets with two different sets of demands.

For the theater, pacing and running time are vital to success, because there’s no pause button and it’s important for the film to have a flow that keeps people into the story as it moves from scene to scene. It’s also important to remember that theatrical audiences are sitting in foreign chairs, sipping their sodas, waiting to eventually use the bathroom and go home. But maybe even more importantly, the shorter a film’s running time, the more opportunities it has to make money, since it can play more times each day.

For DVDs, it’s a different ballgame. Pacing is less of an issue, because people often watch them in parts, almost like reading a book, and people are watching from their comfy chair or couch, taking bathroom breaks whenever they like. With no pressures limiting the running time, the director can let his hair down and tell the story in a different way with more details and more character development: and fans love it. Just as importantly (and unlike video cassettes), DVDs offer a chance for commentaries and bonus features you could never have in theaters.

So in late 2001, New Line decided there would be two versions of The Fellowship of the Ring. Their first order of business was to manage the theatrical cut and theatrical run, so it wasn’t until 2002 that they mapped out a DVD strategy. But when they got around to it, their idea was impressive: the theatrical cut would be released on DVD along with all the bonus material they already had in the can (trailers, tv specials, and anything else that didn’t require any work) and an “extended edition” would be released with new scenes (requiring new effect shots) and new bonus material assembled specifically for the set. Because the theatrical set was basically just an assembly of ready material and the extended set was something that need to be developed nearly from scratch, the two sets were going to be ready at different times.

All fine and good, you might say, but why didn’t New Line Home Entertainment tell people about the extended edition before people ran out and bought the theatrical cut?

They tried!

They issued a press release and personally shared the information with us here at TORN. It was exciting news! If you were a huge fan, you could get the theatrical set and the extended set, and you’d get both versions of the film and all that bonus material. The two sets worked well together, because they contained no overlapping material and gave you the most bang for your buck. On other hand, if you were just interested in the extended edition set, you could skip the theatrical set and save some money. And if you weren’t a big Lord of the Rings fan, but you liked the movie in theaters and just wanted to pick up a cheap DVD with the theatrical cut, you could buy the theatrical set. It seemed like New Line had covered all the bases and found a way to please everyone.

We posted all these exciting details on TheOneRing.net for the world to see, including a list of specific features on each DVD set, but the problem was the world didn’t see it.

Back from 2001 to 2003, before social media like Facebook and twitter, there was a definitive dichotomy for the public’s appetite for LOTR movie news: a season and an off season, so to speak. If we posted a story in December or January, it was big news. Fans would talk about it on message boards, the media would pick up the story and include it in newspapers, and everyone seemed to be in the loop. On the other hand, if we posted a story in May, June, or July, it was more likely to fly under the radar. People were out and about enjoying their summers (or winters in the southern hemisphere), and they certainly weren’t checking iPhones or iPads for the latest news. So the details of the DVDs went unnoticed (and unpublished by most newspapers, which didn’t really care), and after fans rushed out to buy the theatrical DVDs when they were released in August, they were quite angry when they found out there would be a better DVD set released later. (We could say that what we’ve got here is failure to communicate.)

As a postscript, it’s worth mentioning that the home video market has changed since the time of The Lord of the Rings movies. The emphasis now is to get the movies into stores as cheaply as possible, which is why The Lord of the Rings Blu-ray sets have no new bonus features. It’s interesting to note that if The Lord of the Rings had been released five years earlier or five years later, we probably wouldn’t have gotten the magnificent extras that are now part of posterity.

10. The myth: The Two Towers music wasn’t eligible for the Academy Award for Best Score

Why we think it’s true: The media widely reported it, and most fans still believe it today.

But actually: It was declared eligible.

The music of The Lord of the Rings is timeless and one of the greatest aspects of the stunning trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. The Return of the King was nominated for and won the same award. The Two Towers? Nothing. Not even a nomination. What the heck?

Ask a knowledgeable fan and he’ll tell you. “It wasn’t eligible because of a silly rule at the time.” In fact, it still says as much on Howard Shore’s Wikipedia page:

“Shore’s score for The Two Towers was deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy, due to a new rule that disallowed the submission of scores which contained themes from previous work.”

More accurately, Shore’s score was submitted but subsequently called into question due to the new rule; as TORN and newspapers throughout the world shared with everyone. Unfortunately, most people missed the follow-up story where the Academy said it was indeed eligible.

“The music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences moved Friday to deflect a brewing controversy by postponing a ruling that would have disqualified for nomination a popular musical score. [Howard] Shore… was notified Friday afternoon that ‘The Two Towers’ will remain eligible after all for this year’s Oscar. Said Charles Bernstein, music-branch governor: ‘Due to the lateness of the date, and the crunch that takes place at the end of the year, the committee felt that it would be much more fair to leave this year alone and apply the rule in a more clearly articulated form next year.’”

Of course, The Two Towers was still not nominated, but that was due more to stupidity than rules.

So there you are. Ten myths cast into Mount Doom. Now I just have to find a way to start a TV show called “Middle-earth Mythbusters” where I do cool experiments to confirm or bust the things we’ve learned from The Lord of the Rings. Can you really reforge a sword? Is it really possible to toss a Dwarf 15 feet? Can you really forge a Ring that turns you invisible? Tune in next time and find out!

— Samwise Gamgee to Frodo

                                                                                 The Fellowship of the Ring

Last year at Comic-Con 2012 two Hobbits made an appearance as one of the newest entries to Sideshow Collectibles The Lord of the Rings statue line. The two Hobbits fans got a glimpse at were the Ringbearer himself and the most loyal friend you could ever have Samwise Gamgee. These two make their appearance in this line as we see them towards the end of The Return of the King in the Orc armor they get from Cirith Ungol. The regular release for this statue gets you two amazing head sculpts of Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, while the exclusive gets you these two headsculpts wearing the Orc helmets they find with the armor.

PACKAGING

Graphically the box of the Frodo/Sam statue follows the same path as previous releases from this series. You have the front and back panels, which are black with The Lord of the Rings and Frodo/Sam done in a shade of Silver. While on the sides of the box you get an image of the statue from two different angles. The material on the outside of the box continues the matte finish we’ve seen with the last several boxes in this line. The Styrofoam on the inside has once again done its job of making sure the statue makes it intact, and to help with the multiple sculpts they’ve been wrapped separately in a cushion wrap.

SCULPTING

Gabriel Marquez and the uber talented Trevor Grove were tasked with bringing Frodo/Sam to life. These are two of the best likenesses I’ve seen of either character in the years I’ve been collecting Middle-earth. What’s great about the Frodo sculpt besides the likeness is the pain/agony Frodo is going through by this point in the story. We know that the Ring has finally worn him down and this very much comes through in the final product. Samwise is loyal and loves Frodo. Its one of the best things about the character because he is willing to give his life to make sure Frodo succeeds. I think this comes through in spades with the Samwise sculpt. He has that look of protection on his face as if something is about to come at Frodo and keep him from finishing the task.

Sideshow has a great history of making the costumes the characters wore in the movies translate into polystone. This is another case where they were successful in making that happen. The Orc costumes have tons of leatherwork involved and not brand new leatherwork either. This comes across very nicely in the sculpt of both the leather and the chainmail with both having knicks, dents, and holes to make it look worn. One thing I love about the sculpt is the gloves. I love how they’re sculpted where the fingers do not fill the gloves. If you ordered the exclusive you get both sculpts wearing the Orc helms they steal from Cirith Ungol. These helms look worn and just like we saw on screen during the movie. You also don’t loose the likeness with the Sam helmeted sculpt nor the feeling of agony from Frodo’s eyes. You also get a couple of weapons with this statue with those being the Orc sword and of course Sting which Samwise carries. Finally, the base is really well done with the rocks giving you the feel that they’re crossing The Plains of Gorgoth.

PAINT

As I said earlier the sculpts are really well done, but that can be lost if the paint is not done very good. That did not happen with this statue as the skin tone is fantastic and has the proper amount of dirt/ash to complete the look both characters had at that point. The eyes are also well done on both statues with Frodo being exceptional allowing the emotional rise/fall he’s going through to come through in the sculpt. Another great job was done on the outfit of the two characters with the worn looked sculpted being enhanced to look worn by the paint job. These outfits very much feel the way they looked on screen that some Orc has been living in for sometime. The same can be said for the Orc sword with it looking rusted and worn from years of just being out in the elements. You can say the same for the base with the look you see of Mordor coming through loud and clear.

Overall

Frodo and Sam come in with a price tag of $275 which for two statues in one is a really solid deal. The exclusive has an edition size set at only 500 pieces while the regular has an edition size of 1000 pieces world wide. Both items are currently in-stock but do not miss a chance to own this fantastic statue!

“I’m glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee…here at the end of all things.”

-       Frodo to Sam after the destruction of The One Ring

                                                                The Return of the King

 SPECIFICATIONS

Frodo and Sam have an edition size of 500 pieces World Wide for the Exclusive and 1000 pieces World Wide for the Regular. The dimensions for the Frodo/Sam are as followed: 14″ x 8.75″ x 8.5″ (H x W x D)

PHOTOS

But at times they did. In my previous installment of this series, “Places Full of Magic,” I wrote about the facilities I visited. Now it’s time to reveal a few things I learned there—and kept quiet about.

The End of All Things

As I mentioned in that installment, I met producer Barrie Osborne on my third full day in Wellington. One of the first things he said to me was “We may not make the foreign premieres.” What he meant was that the final film had to be supplied to the foreign distributors early, so that they would have time to prepare the dubbing and subtitling. For English-language countries, the deadline wasn’t looming quite as large–except for New Zealand, where the world premiere was set for December 1.

Still, as anyone knows who has watched the Return of the King supplement “The End of All Things” knows, there was a frantic rush to finish the film. (I love that supplement, since it portrays the situation much as I witnessed it during that first visit, though I ended up leaving Wellington on October 28, before the really frantic final weeks before the delivery of the negative.)

I don’t think the direness of the situation was general knowledge, though in Wellington there were rumors flying–and many of them were not inaccurate. Pickups were still being shot in October, though they were mainly things like minor orcs to be jigsawed into special-effects shots. Anyone wandering past the Stone Street Studios was likely to spot costumed extras taking breaks.

In my book I describe a scene during an October 1 meeting of the heads of post-production departments in Barrie’s office. These daily meetings’ purpose was to try and speed up progress on the film. A secretary came in and said there was going to be a story about the film being behind schedule on the evening news. Clearly the story was being aired because it was exactly two months to the premiere. We all watched it as a reporter indignantly told of how filming was still underway, which she seemed to assume meant that the deadline wouldn’t be met. The mayor was interviewed, giving reassurance that the premiere would take place as planned. Telephoto shots of orcs smoking cigarettes outside Studio A accompanied the story, as well generous clips from the brand new Return trailer.

Near the end of the story, the audio track of Gandalf’s line, “All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you,” was included. Everyone in the room burst out laughing and went back to discussing what to do with the short time they had left. All the deadlines were met. It was only later that the full story of the difficult final push came out.

The Ending

Long-time fans may recall that in the months before The Return of the King appeared, speculation concerning how the film would end ran rampant on the Internet. For such an epic tale, would the scriptwriters stick to Tolkien’s quiet ending, with Sam returning home from the Grey Havens? Would they end with the coronation? (Some reviewers and theater-goers obviously wished they had!) I saw discussion threads where fans expressed hope of seeing an epilogue with Sam or even Legolas and Gimli departing Middle-earth to cross the Sea to the Uttermost West (as happens in the appendices).

By sheer accident, during my first week in Wellington, I found out the answer. In that earlier installment, I mentioned that I met Peter Doyle early in that first visit. He’s the digital colorist who invented the first viable digital coloring system specifically for The Lord of the Rings.

In retrospect, I wish I could have interviewed Peter for my book, but who had heard of digital coloring at that point? I certainly didn’t know much about it; I don’t think many people did, since the process hadn’t been publicized or made available to the rest of the film industry. But Peter invited me to visit The PostHouse, a temporary facility set up to do the trilogy’s selective digital color grading, the next day.

The facility was at the back of a large warehouse across the street from The Film Unit (now Park Road Post). Peter offered to give me a demonstration of color grading, and we went into a large room next door. It was dark and filled with rows of computer stations where experts at this new craft were busily adding color to parts of shots, or making color more subdued, manipulating light levels, and making all the other amazing changes that digital technology had made possible.

Peter sat me down at a monitor and, using a close-up of Denethor as an example, he showed off the ways in which he could apply such changes in color or contrast or amount of light just to selected parts of a shot—the eyes, or a cheek, or part of the background. The program would then apply the same changes to all the other frames of the shot. Peter demonstrated with another example: the extreme long shot of Gandalf’s cart going along a path between lush green fields, heading for the Grey Havens. He could dial up a shaft of sunlight, making one of the fields brighter, depending where he wanted to guide the eye of the viewer. In the frame below, you can see that the field on the left is slightly lighter than the grassy hills on the right. Peter explained that that decision was made because that’s the direction in which the group is traveling, the Grey Havens side of the shot.

In the middle of this, Peter paused and said, “Oh, there’s the last shot.” I looked over, and the man sitting to our left was indeed grading the very last shot. The camera was tracking forward and the round yellow door was closing.

So then I knew that the film would end pretty much the way the book does. When I saw The Return of the King about nearly two and a half months later, it turned out that there were small differences: Sam and Rosie had two children here, not one, and he said “Well, I’m back” outside, not inside sitting by the fire with Elanor in his lap.

Close enough, though, I think. Whatever bombast fans might accuse the filmmakers of when it comes to battles or monsters, they opted for quiet domesticity and the return of peace, just as it should be. My husband, who has not read the novel, was surprised and impressed that the filmmakers chose such a modest, emotional ending.

Coincidentally, about three weeks later, I saw another vital shot being worked on. I mentioned in my previous entry that Weta’s digital models supervisor, Matt Aitken, gave me a tour of the main Weta Digital facility. During that tour I saw the main animation room. Matt introduced me to Georgie (if I caught the name right), who was working on the moment when Gollum falls into the lava. She wasn’t satisfied with the way it looked and was going to do it over. The animation team, she told me, referred to it as the “Gollum falls into the lasagna” shot. It did look a bit like that at the stage she had reached, but by the time she got through with it and we all saw it in the final film, it looked terrific.

What are the odds of happening to see both the final shot and the climactic shot still in progress, out of the thousands in the finished film?

 The Figure on the Embassy Theatre Façade

Last time I also mentioned that Daniel Falconer kindly gave me a Weta Workshop, where, among other things, he introduced me to Treebeard. What I didn’t mention was that on the floor of the same big studio room, there were large unassembled portions of the figure of the Witch King on his flying Fell Beast that would adorn the Embassy Theatre’s marquee during the world premiere of The Return of the King. These pieces were only partially painted. This was October 7, and the premiere was not until December 1. Daniel warned me not to tell anyone what I had seen. The figure on the marquee was a surprise each year.

I’m sure that in 2003 the figure was indeed a surprise. During my stay in Wellington, I went out for dim sum with film-faculty members and graduate students from Victoria University Wellington. They were convinced that the marquee figure would be Shelob. A logical guess, and widely shared, I’m sure. Still, since the Wellington premiere was scheduled well ahead of the film’s release in the rest of the world, the filmmakers clearly did not want the design of the main new monster for the third part to be revealed prematurely. Naturally, I kept quiet about what the real figure would be. (At top, a photo of the Nazgûl being raised onto the Embassy façade, taken by Ringer Spy Mr. MB.)

While the Gollum figure that had graced the theater façade the previous year had an extended life, perched on the roof of the Wellington airport, the Nazgûl and his Fell Beast met a more ignominious fate. There was a report in the Dominion Post on April 12, 2004, that the figure had been dumped in a field beside the Wellington dump–a “felled beast,” as the caption-writer put it. I wonder if the pieces eventually disintegrated or were salvaged by fans with really big garages. Any news on their current whereabouts, if any, would be welcome.

(The first two parts of this series are here and here.)

(A scan of part of my print-out of the original story. That story is still online but is difficult to access and no longer has the photo accompanying it.)

The Morgul Lord will come with all of the following:

• One interactive custom base
• One Asmus Toys figure stand
  

[Pre-Order today from Alter Ego]

 

 

 

 

————————————————————————————-

The (Biblical) Beacons of Gondor

By Tedoras — special to TheOneRing.net

This past April 28th happened to be the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer (the 33rd day of the Counting of the Sheaves, to be more precise). Now, you are probably wondering how this little-known holiday relates to The Lord of the Rings (and, if you’re like me, you’d like to know what a “sheaf” is, too). It turns out a sheaf is a bundle for cereal plants—fortunately for us all, though, my story has nothing to do with Biblical agriculture. Rather, it begins with The Return of the King.

If you are like me, you love those amazing fly-by shots from The Lord of the Rings films. One of the most epic sequences of such shots is the lighting of the beacons in ROTK (refresh your memory here). Whether your first encounter with these mountaintop fires was in literature or film, you probably thought it was an ingenious mode of communication. Certainly, they are by far the best means for sending urgent messages across long distances (and I hope the Gondorian who urged their construction was handsomely rewarded). In order to see the connection between these beacons and the aforementioned holiday, it is important to know the story of Lag B’Omer.

In short, Lag B’Omer commemorates a revolt in the year 131 CE. The Israelites, under the leadership of Bar Kochba, rose up against the Romans, who ruled the land at that time. Years before the Romans came, the Israelites had built a series of m’durot, or bonfires, upon the surrounding mountains. So, when the revolt began, (you guessed it) Bar Kochba ordered a beacon lit. A soldier took a torch to the top of a mountain, lit one the beacons, and thus sent word around the land that war had begun.

Certainly, the use of the beacons of Gondor to call for Rohan’s aid is reminiscent of this episode. Yet, was Tolkien inspired by this Biblical tale in his creation of the beacons? On the one hand, we know Tolkien was well-versed in the Bible; his contemporaneous English education saw to that. Furthermore, Tolkien was a lifelong scholar—thus, if not in school, it is likely he would have encountered this story on his own. Assuming Tolkien was acquainted with this tale, the unanswerable question here, of course, is whether or not he consciously recognized the Bible as their source.

However, on the other hand, a case can certainly be made that Tolkien knew not of the story of Bar Kochba’s revolt. For a realm the size of Gondor, it would make sense to have a system for mass-communication in the event of any important occurrence. And, while these beacons also housed fresh horses on stand-by for couriers, it is clear that signal fires would be a much faster means. The independent invention of the beacons is not only possible in terms of the technology available to Gondor at the time, but it is also becoming of the prudence and wisdom of the Gondorian kings of Old.

This is one of many familiar situations to us Tolkien fans: is there a “right” answer here? Personally, I do not think it really matters; I intended only to present a surprising and uncanny resemblance upon which I happened to stumble. But, of course, such a topic is up for interpretation—so I will let you decide for yourself.

Check out the Full article on Weta’s appearance: WETA TO ATTEND SUPANOVA SYDNEY AND PERTH IN JUNE

List of Middle-earth celebs making an apperance:

• John Callen – Oin the Dwarf
• Adam Brown – Ori the Dwarf
• Jed Brophy – Nori the Dwarf
• Karl Urban – Éomer
• Mark Ferguson – Gil-galad

What a fun movie! Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck) came on board to be our wonderful narrator! Actually this film is a time capsule of many decades of pop culture history — giving us the full story on how the world has embraced Tolkien’s masterpiece THE LORD OF THE RINGS over 50 years and more!

Winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, RINGERS was produced in association with TheOneRing.net — this remarkable little film was forged BY fans and FOR fans, just like our website, with the production/writing talent of Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway (who hosts TORn TUESDAY every week), Jeff Marchelletta, and supercool director Carlene Cordova. It was executive produced by X-Men/Transformers guru Tom DeSanto.

With a wonderful rock-driven score and detailing all the outpouring of love bestowed on Tolkien over many generations, this film is a must-have for your digital collection! Get it on iTunes now for only $9.99!

From the original Sony Press Release:

“RINGERS is comprehensive, entertaining and informative pop culture history.”
– The Toronto Star

“…Will always be a salient part of ‘LORD OF THE RINGS’ history…
See it, absorb it, love it.” – FilmThreat

Winner of “Outstanding Achievement” Award at the
Newport Beach Film Festival

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS

FASCINATING DOCUMENTARY CAPTURES THE HISTORY, INFLUENCE AND PHENOMENON THAT IS LORD OF THE RINGS

CULVER CITY, Calif. (September 12, 2005) – Sony invites you to return to the Shire with the release of the feature-length documentary RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, direct to DVD.  In association with the popular fan-site TheOneRing.net, Carlene Cordova produced, directed and wrote this award-winning film with executive producer Tom DeSanto(X-Men, X2: X-Men United and Transformers), which charts the incredible influence and ripple-effect that Lord of the Rings has had on worldwide pop culture over the past five decades.  Whether you are a fan or first timer, critics agree, RINGERS, stands as the most comprehensive film documenting the ongoing impact of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary achievement.

Dominic Monaghan (star of ABC’s Lost and the Academy Award^® winning Lord of the Rings trilogy) narrates the documentary as it looks behind the curtain between Lord of the Rings and how it inspired so many artists of different mediums.  The film moves beyond “cult classic” and through different generations unearthing the way legendary rock musicians, filmmakers, professors, actors and authors all unite under the banner of ‘Ringer.’  Interviewees included in the film are Lord of the Rings trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson as well as Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin and David Carradine.  Infused with a dynamic rock-driven score, irreverent cut-out animation (á la Terry Gilliam), and a centerpiece audience sing-a-long, RINGERS is a genre-busting documentary that shows how a single literary work continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions.

RINGERS continues the momentum of the motion picture trilogy Lord of the Rings, a winner of 17 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Peter Jackson, who made history as the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. 

From the official synopsis:

Ringers: Lord of the Fans is a feature-length documentary that reveals the ongoing cultural phenomenon created by The Lord of the Rings.  Very funny and often moving, Ringers shows the hidden power behind Tolkien’s books — and how after 50 years a single literary work continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions, across cultures and across time.

Shot with groundbreaking new digital technology in 24P, Ringers explores the real foundations of Middle-earth; a community of true fans who share a common bond.  Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths academics, musicians, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies — the people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer.’  From the hippie counter-culture to the electronic age; from the Bakshi animated film to Jackson’s epic trilogy; this documentary brings together extensive footage from across the globe.  With units in Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Bonn, Germany, Wellington, New Zealand, and Oxford, England, our cameras capture the most fascinating “Ringers” and Lord of the Rings events.

What began as the private amusement of a tweedy Oxford professor has now become a new mythology for the 21^st century. Ringers: Lord of the Fans shows how an adventure story published in 1954 has had dynamic ripple-effects through Western pop-culture.  Ringers carefully pulls away the veil between Tolkien’s book and the creations of art, music, and community that have been inspired by it.

Check out the official trailer here:

Shows

We had a wonderful time in April, attending 3 shows in Melbourne and the Gold Coast of Australia, and our first visit to CalgaryExpo in Canada. It was exciting to meet some new and old Flamers in person for the first time. We were especially grateful for the kind donations of chocolate for the crew !
Most of us just got back to work on Monday, a bit tired, but ready to get going again. And of course, we are only 2 months away from the Big Show; San Diego Comic Con. Time flies, we can’t wait ! We will be in the same booth space (3513B) as last year. This has now become our own Weta booth, we are no longer sharing someone else’s space. We will have our largest ever team of Weta crew at Comic Con this year. We’ll be announcing names soon. Please come and say Hi We are shipping out a container full of goodies to San Diego at the end of May, full of confidential, new stuff. We still have lots of work to do, as there are always a handful of items packed in at the last minute.

The Hobbit – 1/6th scale polystone range

We have now launched the first seven pieces in the 1/6th scale range: Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Dwalin, Balin, Bombur and Gollum. Thanks so much to all of you who have supported this range, we consider these to be the best quality sculptures we have created. This will be our signature line for The Hobbit trilogy of movies and we have several more outstanding pieces in production. A lot of thought has gone into the poses, and how the various characters could be displayed together. We expect this will become clearer over time. We will most likely unveil the next sculpture in the range in July.

Some of you have asked why there are no creatures launched yet ? The reason is that most of the creatures are created in digital form for the films, and the digital work is normally finalized very late in the film making process. So therefore we could not start work on these creatures until very late last year. But never fear, they are coming !

The Hobbit – Environments

We had hoped to have launched an environment by now. We were actually building a few pieces last year. But once the decision was made to change from 2 to 3 movies, we had to put them on hold until the second movie is released.

The good news is that we do have 2 new environments in production now, so you will be seeing them at some stage soon.

The Hobbit – New Polystone Product Ranges !

Over the next few months, we will be launching some new smaller scale pieces, priced under US$100, including a few special pre-releases from the upcoming movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Look out for these at Comic Con!

The Hobbit – Prop Replicas

Our Staves have been extremely popular. The first production of both the Staff of Radagast the Brown and the Staff of Gandalf the Grey, sold out even before they arrived in our warehouses. The second and final production run will take place over the next few months and we hope to release these final pieces before the end of 2013. We strongly suggest pre-ordering to ensure you don’t miss out.

The Key to Erebor is our highest selling item. We have sold out our stocks twice and are struggling to keep up with production

Daniel Reeve has had a great time creating hand made Contracts and Maps.

Jewelry from Middle-earth

Our new range of Jewelry from Middle-earth has been a huge hit, especially The One Ring in gold plated tungsten carbide, created by Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith. We continue to struggle to keep up with supply for this item, the Evenstar and the Elven Leaf Brooch

We have a new Stone Pendant launching in the next week. Keep an eye out for it

The Hobbit – Maps and Art Prints

We now have a room in our office dedicated to storing tubes with all the Maps and art prints created by the artists who worked on the movies. We will continue to expand this range and would be grateful for a poll to vote on the scenes you’d like to see from LOTR and The Hobbit.

If you are coming to Comic Con in July, this would be a great opportunity to get some of these art prints signed.

You can also expect to see something new from Daniel Reeve soon too

The Lord of the Rings

There are a couple of items in production from LOTR.

The Fellowship of the Ring – Set 2 starts arriving in our warehouses over the next month, and will be followed up by Set 3 in a few months time. All three sets look fantastic displayed together, with a mirror set behind them, as we have done in the Weta Cave

We will also be releasing a new sculpture of Arwen soon, as part of the range of smaller scale pieces; Gollum, Gandalf and Strider

Next shipment

Our next shipments arrive in our 3 warehouses in the US, UK and NZ over the next month, including new pieces such as:

• The Fellowship of the Ring – Set 2
• The Pipe of Fili the Dwarf
• The Staff of Gandalf the Grey (already sold out)
• Gollum Enraged

Changing Warehouses in the US

In late May / early June, we will be changing our warehouse in the US. So if you are planning to make any orders in the near future, we recommend making your order in the next 2 weeks.

And for customers in North America, we will be announcing a range of special offers early next week, to help us reduce our inventory before we move to the new warehouse. Watch out for this in our next newsletter !

Cheers

Tim

Below are the full descriptions of each line from the Asmus Toys website:

Heroes of the Middle-earth will be the premier line of important characters. Presented by well know heroes such as Aragorn, Gandalf…etc, who will be built in top quality head sculpt, realistically accurate clothing, and mixed media accessories. Each hero will have its own custom base, and together they will be puzzled into a huge battle field diorama. Also, heroes don’t necessarily have to be the good guys.

Man of West and Army of Mordor will feature the soldiers from both side of the force. Some of the familiar faces we see in the movies but not as important as the heroes. Examples like Uruk-hai, Orcs and even Merry and Pippin.

Armors in the Battlefields is a series of products that will contain only the armors, weapons and clothing. Collectors can use whatever figure body you have at hand to custom a figure in a relatively cheaper price, in this way, collectors can put together an army in affordable budget. Examples such as Gondorian soilders, Orc armors..etc

People from around the world are online with one common goal: to virtually gather with other fans to watch all three films straight through. Geeky? Yes. Fun? Absolutely.

Please browse through our FAQ below, you’ll find the answers to many of your questions.

JOIN THE MARATHON

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

1: CHATROOM BASICS

1a: I’ve never chatted before. How does it work?

1b: How do I join the chatroom?

1c: That person with an @ or & in front of their name keeps telling me to read the guidelines. What are the guidelines?

1d: There is a lot of lingo. What is a “channel” or an “op?”

1e: I have a LOT of questions about how the chat room works. Where can I find answers?

2: THE MARATHON

2a: How do I watch the movies?

2b: I don’t have the extended editions, can I still take part?

2c: I just joined the marathon chat — how can I tell what part of the movie you’re watching?

2d: How long does the marathon last?

2e: What time will you be watching [insert movie name]?

2f: I don’t live in Eastern Time Zone. What time is the marathon in my time zone?

2g: Do you take breaks during the movies? Do you have a schedule for when you’ll be stopping?

2h: There are a lot of people in the room, how can I tell when an announcement is made?

2i: Have you done this before?

3: PROBLEMS

3a: I try to connect to the chat, but my connection is refused or I get an error message.

3b: Everyone seems to be at a different place than I am. What am I doing wrong?

3c: I joined the chat room, but nothing I type is posted to the room. Is it broken?

3d: How can I get a nickname? I want to call myself Frodo, but the chat won’t let me.

3e: Why can’t I swear/shout/be rude?

3f: Someone keeps messaging me and saying rude things. What should I do?

3g: I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I got kicked out. Can I come back, please?

3h: I have a LOT of questions about how the chat room works. Where can I find answers?

3i: HELP, I’m hopelessly confused.

4: FUN STUFF

4a: People keep ordering drinks and barbecued Orc wings. How do I do that?

ANSWERS

1: CHATROOM BASICS

1a: I’ve never chatted before. How does it work?

Think of Facebook chat on a much larger scale. If you’ve never chatted before, think of the chat as a giant group instant message. Anyone is able to join the discussion and use the text entry box to post their comments to the “channel.” You read them and respond, if you choose. Or just post your own thoughts.

To take part in the chat, you need to sign on to an IRC client. You have your choice between our Web Chat or you can download an IRC client, such as mIRC. See the answer to question 1b.

Your best option is to test joining the chat room before the marathon starts, so you are sure you can connect and understand how the whole thing works. For the answers to any IRC question you can think of, visit our IRC FAQ.

1b: How do I join the chatroom?

To take part in the chat, you need to sign on to an IRC program. You have your choice between our Web Chat or you can download an IRC client, such as mIRC. Here are your options:

TORn WEB CHAT (Recommended for newcomers):
So simple your mom could do it
- Click on https://client01.chat.mibbit.com/#moviechat@irc.theonering.net
- Give yourself a name! Enter it in the box labeled “Nick”  (Info about nicknames)
- Click connect
- You are now in the chat room
- (it’s so simple your GRANDMOTHER could do it)

mIRC (Advanced):
If you’re looking for the optimum chatting experience, an IRC client is the way to go
- Dowload and install the mIRC program. (Windows only. For Mac, try installing X-Chat Aqua or Snak. But it might be easier to just use our Web Chat)
- Launch mIRC.
- Close the greeting screen, if one appears
- Go to the Tools menu, open it and select the Options menu.
- You should now see a page called “mIRC Options” with a menu list on the left side.
- Open the Connect menu, and you will see a page to input your name and nickname. It’s recommended that you do not use your real last name. Although we set a high standard at Barliman’s, it’s best to not share that info.
- Open the Servers menu and click on the Add button and you will get a window called “Add Server.”
- Fill in the description as you wish, then type in irc.TheOneRing.net as the server and 6667 as the port. Leave the other fields blank. Then click Add again. This will close the small window.
- Return to the Connect menu and click Connect.
- You should now be connected to the chat room and in a window titled “Status: [your nickname]” In that window you type the command to join the chatroom. To join the marathon, type /join #moviechat and Enter. You will now be in the channel.

If mIRC seems too complicated, you should stick to our Web Chat option. Your might want to test joining the chatroom before the marathon starts, so you are sure you can connect and understand how the whole thing works. Stop in and say hello! The regulars are quite friendly.

1c: That person with an @ or & in front of their name keeps telling me to read the guidelines. What are the guidelines?

The guidelines are pretty simple:

Be courteous. Boorish behavior will not be tolerated!

Use appropriate language. No swearing, cursing, harassment or other such foolishness.

To repeat: NO CURSING or sexual innuendo. If you can’t say it on Sesame Street (or Blue Peter, or the Wiggles), you can’t say it here. This is a family-friendly event and we find that civil discourse keeps everyone happy.

Think before you “speak”. Use common sense – this is a world-wide chat, with many cultures and age levels.

Respect others and their ideas. Be friendly and patient with each other. After all, we are just having fun!

No image banners or advertisements for other sites are permitted.

No bots… No spamming… No flooding!

The op is always right! If your behavior or language is deemed inappropriate by an op, you will be removed from the room. Frequent violations can result in banning.

1d: There is a lot of lingo. What’s a “channel” or an “op?”

Channel is another word for a chat room or a “room.” The words are interchangeable. An “op” is someone who runs the chat room.

TORn’s IRC server has a number of channels for users to congregate in. Movie Marathons take place in #moviechat. The main channel/room is #TheOneRing.net, affectionately know as Barliman’s. This is where general day-to-day conversation takes place and is usually the busiest.

Other available rooms are:
#Rivendell — test your Tolkien trivia knowledge with Elrond!
#Green_Dragon — general knowledge quizzes with The Gaffer!
#TheHallofFire, Home of moderated Tolkien and LoTR chats. There is a chat every Saturday afternoon at 5pm Eastern. Right now we’re holding a chapter-by-chapter discussion of The Two Towers — Come on by! Keep an eye on TORn’s Facebook page for announcements.

“Ops” are the moderators. You can tell them apart from regular chatters by the @ or & sign in front of their nickname. They help run the various registered channels (those listed above) – making sure people abide by TORn’s chatting guidelines. They will also help you with any problems you have running your IRC client and try and answer questions that aren’t answered here.

You can find the answer to anything else you want to know about Barliman’s at our IRC FAQ.

1e: I have a LOT of questions about how the chatroom works. Where can I find answers?

We’re glad you’re curious! You can find the answer to anything you want to know about Barliman’s at our IRC FAQ. Or, just ask! The regulars are friendly and happy to help.

2: THE MARATHON

2a: How do I watch the movies?

First of all, you need to HAVE the movies. We will not be watching a television or cable broadcast of the films.

Have your first disc in the player before 9 a.m.. The channel will be silenced around 9 a.m. so the ops can announce the start of the movie. No one will be able to speak while this happens, so no one misses the announcement! The ops will count down the time and when they write START! everyone presses Play. It’s pretty simple.

If you think you’re lagging or not in the same spot as the others, do not fear. We pause periodically to allow everyone to get back on track. Sometimes the confusion is part of the fun. Check the movie schedule for a general idea of when pauses and breaks will take place (to be posted by start of marathon).

Do you feel as if you just can’t keep up with the others or as if your DVD is running too fast? If you live outside of the U.S., see the answer to question 3b.

2b: I don’t have the extended editions, can I still take part?

We will be watching the extended editions of the films, but it will be possible to use the regular editions if you use the “pauses” to adjust to which chapter we’re on. If you don’t have the films at all, you can still participate in the chat — after all, we’re sure you’ve seen them before!

2c: I just joined — how can I tell what part of the movie you’re watching?

This question pops up a lot. A LOT. The ops will periodically announce what scene we’re at or what chapter we’re on. The clocked time is often announced, but the run speed on DVDs varies from region to region. The best and easiest way to catch up is to watch what others are commenting on and try to fast-forward to the right scene. There will be pauses throughout the film for people to meet up at the same chapter. If you have the booklet that came with your DVD, that will be very handy.

Of course, if you’re really confused, just ask. Someone will be happy to answer

2d: How long does the marathon last?

In years past the marathon has lasted a total of 12-13 hours, sometimes a bit more. We allow four hours for each movie, not including breaks. You’re welcome to come and go at any time, of course, as often as you like. For more information, see answer 2e.

2e: What time will you be watching [insert movie name]?

All times are approximate. We hope to stay on schedule, but “things” often happen!

Below are the run-times for each film, our projected starting time, and links to determine the time in your own time zone. We will pause periodically during the film so everyone can catch up. Pauses last little more than 30 seconds, and serve as pick-up points for people experiencing DVD burps. We take 15 minute breaks between discs and 30 minute break between movies so people can … do whatever takes a little more time. Cooking? Stretching? Napping? Your choice.

ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE

The Fellowship of the Ring
Total run time: 208 minutes
Start time 9 a.m. Eastern [When is that in my time zone?]

The Two Towers
Total run time: 223 minutes
Start time 1:30 p.m. Eastern [When is that in my time zone?]

The Return of the King
Total run time: 251 minutes
APPROXIMATE Start time 6:30 p.m. Eastern [When is that in my time zone?]

2f: I don’t live in Eastern Time Zone. What time is the marathon in my time zone?

The marathon begins at 9 a.m. Eastern. Visit http://timeanddate.com to check the time for your location or click here.

2g: Do you take breaks during the movies?

Yes. Lots. Keeping everyone at the same place in the movie is an impossible task. So we pause the movie periodically to let everyone catch up. We also take 15 minute breaks between discs, a 1/2 hour break between movies. 12 hours is a long time to not eat/drink/whatever.

2h: There are a lot of people in the room, how can I tell when an announcement is made?

When an important announcement is made — the start of a movie, a break, or some other problem — the ops will silence the room. When this happens no one other than ops will be able to “speak” or post a comment to the room. This is so what they have to say won’t get lost in the torrent of chatter. Be patient, the silence will be lifted as soon as they’re done.   Less important announcements will be made in bold face.

2i: Have you done this before?

Yes! We’ve been holding movie marathons since the “Fellowship of the Ring” DVD was first released. Following the ROTK DVD we began our traditional Trilogy marathon. Our marathons are often attended by well over 100 people. A great time is always had! You can read about our 2006 marathon here.

3: PROBLEMS

3a: I try to connect to the chat, but my connection is refused or I get an error message.

It’s possible, though unlikely, that the server will reach full capacity. If that happens, you will not be able to sign on. Keep trying and you will eventually connect. There shouldn’t be any problems.

If you continue to have a problem, it’s possible that you are behind a firewall that will not allow IRC port connections. If you are at work, school or a public hot spot, this is most likely the problem.

If you continue to have problems, you can e-mail barlimans@theonering.net, but please be patient, as ops will be busy running the marathon. Your best option is to test joining the chat  room before the marathon starts, so you are sure you can connect and understand how the whole thing works.

3b: Everyone seems to be at a different place than I am. What am I doing wrong?

DVDs often vary in speed from region to region. If you’re joining us from outside of North America it is possible that your DVD is running slightly ahead or behind. This is one of the reasons we “pause” the movie periodically, to allow everyone to catch up. You can read more about pauses in a number of other answers on this FAQ.

But, to allay your fears, you’re most likely not doing anything wrong. If the pauses don’t seem to help you, ask an op for help. They’re the persons with the @ or & in front of their name. If you double-click on their nickname, you can message them with your problem.

3c: I joined the chat room, but nothing I type is posted to the room. Is it broken?

Nope! See the answer to question 2h.

3d: How can I get a nickname? I want to call myself Frodo, but the chat won’t let me.

When you sign onto the Web Chat, you have the opportunity to enter a nick of your choosing in the “Nick” box, replacing the “mib” generic name. To prevent confusion, only one person on the entire server can have a particular nickname. So, if another Frodo beat you out to the chat, you will have to find a different nickname. Some nicknames are registered by regular chatters. If you try to use one of these the server will change your nick to Guest+random numbers. But, you’re free to try! Just have a backup nick in mind. For more information visit our IRC FAQ.

3e: Why can’t I swear?

Because it’s rude. We’ve worked very hard to keep TORn’s chatrooms pleasant for people of all ages and nationalities. We also like to think it’s a place Professor Tolkien might like to hang out, if he were alive and well today. And interested in modern technology. And not as cranky as he’s rumoured to have been.

If you persist in swearing, shouting or breaking the guidelines, an op will warn you. If you persist, you will get kicked. If you continue to persist, you will be banned. But we’re sure that won’t happen. We’re all here for the same thing: to enjoy the movies and talking to other fans.

Several words will result in an automatic ban by the bot. There is no contesting this. So it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Read more about our philosophy at the “Why Can’t I?” section of our IRC FAQ.

3f: Someone keeps messaging me and saying rude things. What should I do?

Tell an op immediately. Either say something in the main chatroom, or double click on one of the names with the @ or & in front of it, and tell them what’s been going on. If you’re able to copy/paste what they’ve been saying, even better. We are ADAMANTLY against such behavior and we will deal with it swiftly.

3g: I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I got kicked out. Can I come back, please?

Our number one guideline is “The Op is always right.” If you’ve been kicked out, you are permitted to return but should consider it a warning. During an event as busy as a movie marathon, it’s possible that something you did was misconstrued or was done by someone else. Keep your sense of humor, come back to the room and all should be well.

Barliman will warn you two times for swearing. The third time you get kicked out. The next time you will be automatically banned. At that point, you won’t be allowed back. Sorry.

3h: I have a LOT of questions about how the chatroom works. Where can I find answers?

We’re glad you’re curious! You can find the answer to anything you want to know about Barliman’s at our IRC FAQ.

31: HELP, I’m hopelessly confused.

Ouch. That’s not fun. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, you can ask an op for help. If you are already in the chat room, double-click on any nickname preceded by an @ or & and write out your question. They’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If you are unable to sign in to the chat room, send an e-mail to barlimans@theonering.net. Please be patient, as ops will be busy running the marathon.

4. FUN STUFF

4a: People keep ordering drinks and barbecued Orc wings. How do I do that?

Barliman has many offerings and tasty items on his menu. Type !menu for the full list.

“If you’re shooting digitally…once you’ve got your camera, once you’ve got your memory card or memory stick then really there’s no cost, or very little, and that’s one thing that’s driving people away from film and more toward digital,” says laboratory employee Brian Scadden.

The article goes on to say, ‘Kodak and Fuji are the world’s largest producers of film stock, but because filmmakers are using digital more and more, Fuji’s already stopped and Kodak’s future is in doubt.’  [Read More]