On Oct. 9 and 10, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hits Radio City Music Hall in a multimedia extravaganza. Howard Shore’s Oscar-winning score will be performed synchronized with the hit film, showcased on a 60-foot screen. Conductor Ludwig Wicki will oversee 300 musicians that include the 21st Century Orchestra, which specializes in film music, The Collegiate Chorale, renowned soprano Kaitlyn Lusk and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The epic-sized event neatly dovetails with this fall’s release of Music of The Lord of the Rings Films, a book by musicologist Doug Adams. More..

Viggo MortensenFor the record, there’s nothing wrong with “The Road” star Viggo Mortensen not knowing much about the plans that Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro have in place for their two-part big screen telling of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” Aragorn, his “Lord of the Rings” character, doesn’t actually factor into that story. That doesn’t mean he can’t be written in, but clearly no one’s mentioned anything to Mortensen. More..

J.R.R. TolkienWhile not quite as famous as the anniversary of the publication of ‘The Hobbit,’ J.R.R. Tolkien penned what would become an important part of his larger mythology 95 years ago. Marc wrote to remind us of the event which is talked about in John Garth’s “Tolkien and the Great War,” and according to Marc, “Tolkien’s Gedling.” The poem, published in “The Book of Lost Tales Part 2,” contained the linguistic and imaginative seeds that helped inspire Middle-earth. In short, celebrate Tolkien today and perhaps read of Eärendel!

The Lord of the Films: The Unofficial Guide to Tolkien's Middle-Earth on the Big Screen (Paperback)Author J.W. Braun will appear at The Book Cellar in downtown Waterford, Wisconsin Sunday, October 11, 2009 from 10AM to 1PM to sign copies of his new book, The Lord of the Films, which will be available for 20% off the cover price ($15.00).

Order ‘The Lord of the Films: The Unofficial Guide to Tolkien’s Middle-Earth on the Big Screen (Paperback)’ now on Amazon.com Continue reading “Meet ‘Lord of the Films’ Author J.W. Braun in WI”

Ian McKellenSAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AFP) – British actor Ian McKellen was Wednesday honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the San Sebastian film festival in Spain. The 70-year-old “Lord of the Rings” star received the festival’s Donostia Award, which goes to “a great film personality in recognition for their work and career.” “I’m very gratified for this Donostia Prize because it’s not just for a character, but for a career,” he told a news conference. More..

Guillermo del ToroFrom kristinthompson.net: Guillermo del Toro has agreed to help out a struggling team of filmmakers by participating in a fundraising event. The film is Roots, Rock and Harmony, to be directed by local director Bonnie Slater. The event will be billed as “An Evening with Guillermo del Toro,” though also onstage will be Jonathan King, director of the horror film Black Sheep (a fun, gory film in the early Peter Jackson mode) and the upcoming fantasy adventure Under the Mountain (due for a December 10 release in New Zealand). This Q&A event is scheduled for November 11 at the Paramount Theatre in Wellington. That’s a classic old movie theater on Courtney Place, the wide street familiar to many, since it ends at the Empire Theatre and was covered with a red carpet for the world premiere of The Return of the King. More..