Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. (born October 20, 1958) is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer, and painter. His film roles include Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Frank T. Hopkins in Hidalgo, David Shaw in A Perfect Murder, Tom Stall in David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, and his Academy and Golden Globe Award-nominated role as Nikolai Luzhin in Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises. He is to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road as “The Man”. Visit: percevalpress.com
Month: October 2009
Malcolm from ADC Publications writes: Thank you for adding our earlier book to your website, so that your viewers are aware of its existence. This is our second and the newest publication this year: The Epic Realm of Tolkien Part One – Beren and Luthien (Authors: Alex Lewis & Elizabeth Currie)
Lewis and Currie continue their ground-breaking studies with an examination of Tolkien’s most personal story, the Tale of Beren and Lúthien in its various forms. It is analysed from the early version in the Book of Lost Tales, through the incomparable poetry of the Lay of Leithian, through to beyond the Silmarillion version and the ideas that Tolkien was working towards the end of his life. The astonishing and powerful connections between Beren and Lúthien’s tale and the Arthurian legends in their various forms are examined and give a fascinating glimpse into the world of medieval literature which Professor Tolkien knew and loved so well. Find out how Tevildo Demon-Prince of Cats came into the tale and then was dropped in favour of other concepts, how Tolkien pondered over whether Beren should be a mortal man or an immortal elf. And throughout these tales run the foundations of Arthurian Story in a fascinating way. The connections that Lewis and Currie pursue lead to an elegant and original explanation of the creative purpose behind the Book of Lost Tales as a concept, and also give compelling insight as to how this related to the concept inherent within the Silmarillion and Tolkien’s Legendarium itself. In Epic Realms of Tolkien, learn also of the true significance of the Eriol / Aelfwine character and his adventures and deeds. Continue reading “New Book: The Epic Realm of Tolkien Part One – Beren and Luthien”
Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer, orchestrator, conductor and music producer. He was the first band leader on Saturday Night Live. He composed the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the scores to most of David Cronenberg’s films. He is also a prolific composer of concert works; his first opera, The Fly, based on the plot (though not his score) of Cronenberg’s 1986 film premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on 2 July 2008. He is the uncle of composer Ryan Shore. Visit: www.howardshore.com
Our friend Matt Blessing from Marquette University sends a reminder that the exhibit, “The Beginnings of a Masterpiece: Original Manuscripts from The Fellowship of the Ring ” is still running at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan. Many of us attended the exhibit during the Radio City Concert weekend and highly recommend taking the time to see it if you live, or are in, the area. Items in the exhibit include Tolkien’s notes on cycles of the moon on the back of an Oxford air raid report and several color drafts of the last page of the book of Mazarbul, showing the progression of Tolkien’s vision of how it would look. Sadly, his illustrations never made it into the book due to the added expense. Many more fascinating items round out the exhibit from which it will be difficult to tear yourself away.
The exhibit will be open to off-campus visitors through November 19. Hours are between 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. All visitors will be asked to show a valid photo ID to enter the Lowenstein Building and the Quinn Library. The Lowenstein Building is located at 113 West 60th Street in Manhattan.
Join Cliff “Quickbeam” Broadway as he and other Tolkien fans celebrate Bilbo’s 111th birthday party with a picnic out at Los Angeles’ Griffith Park.
From HarperOne’s blog on C.S. Lewis: “Did C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien collaborate on a project that was never published? It is well known that the two were close friends and relished each other’s praise and criticism. However, there is little evidence that the two intended on working together on any manuscript. Steven A. Beebe, professor and chair of communication studies at Texas State University, believes he has found a fragment of an unpublished work. CSLewis.com recently interviewed Dr. Beebe to get more insight on his findings. More…