More than 70 delegates from around the world have gathered at Aston University for Tolkien 2005, according to The Guardian. The events include a lecture from Professor Tom Shippey, hobbit dances, evening performances, and more. Read about Tolkien in the Land of Heroes to find out more about the mythology in Tolkien’s works, and discover the biography of Tolkien with J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. [More]
Month: August 2005
When devotees of ‘Lord of the Rings’ re-watch the fantasy movies, many do their level best to forget the story and convince themselves they are seeing them for the first time, according to the biggest ever study of its kind, sponsored by the ESRC. ‘Not knowing’ the plot or the ending means they can experience as much of the full emotions and tension as possible and their pleasure is increased, says Professor Martin Barker of the University of Wales, who led the research over 15 months and in 20 countries. He found that movies such as ‘Lord of the Rings III’, on which the project was focussed, are not just an escape, but for many of us a place to work out a bit what might be wrong with the world. And they are more important and enjoyable to those who work in jobs where they feel they have little control over their lives. [More]
Oscar winner Jon Voight has replaced Ian Holm in the CBS miniseries about Pope John Paul II. The four-hour miniseries, working under the straightforward title “Pope John Paul II,” has begun production in Krakow, Poland, and will later shoot in Vatican City. The film has also expanded its cast, adding Oscar and Emmy nominee James Cromwell. [More]
Karl Urban is in negotiations to star in “Pathfinder,” a Viking epic being made by Phoenix Pictures and helmer Marcus Nispel. 20th Century Fox is distributing. “Pathfinder” is a remake of the 1987 Norwegian film by helmer Nils Gaup to which Phoenix acquired the rights to in 2001. While the original followed Norway’s warlike clans around the year 1000 A.D., the new version, with a script by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (“Alexander”), is set in North America around the same time, when Vikings inadvertently discovered the continent 500 years before Columbus. [More]
Eien writes: CNN’s Entertainment section has a small gallery talking about the ways technology has advanced movie making. It mentions MASSIVE and motion capture used for Gollum. [More]
Pippin Skywalker writes: Hello my dear hobbits, elf-friends, and all free peoples if Middle Earth! I am pleased to announce that I have managed to step out of the comfort and delight of my little hobbit hole to depart on another extraordinary adventure. Here I will tell you of my adventures and experiences in Oxford in this special year of 2005, which, quite coincidentally, is both the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis and the 50th anniversary of the publication of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. [More]