TheOneRing.net is delighted to announce that on this coming Tuesday, February 7, none other than Sean Astin will be joining our own Cliff “Quickbeam” Broadway on TORn Tuesdaythis week for a one-hour Q&A session!
Astin — actor, director, voice artist and producer — is, of course, best known to Tolkien fans as Sam Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, but has also made his mark in a career spanning more than 70 films roles, including The Goonies, Toy Soldiers, 50 First Dates and as the indomitable, never-say-die working class hero of Rudy.
He’s played a recurring guest role in the TV series 24 and has written and directed two short films — the academy award nominated Kangaroo Court and The Long And the Short Of It.
And at this week’s TORn Tuesday, he’ll be talking about his latest projects — including his special endurance/fitness project Run3rd to promote the sport of running as he gears up to run his third LA Marathon. (If you’re already curious, hit up his official Twitter account!)
Peter Jackson’s reconstruction of Denethor, the steward of Gondor remains one of the more controversial aspects of his adaptation of Return of the King.
This weekend, Hall of Fire re-engages with an old question as we ask: “Movie Denethor: tragedy or travesty?”.
Denethor II, the last ruling steward of Gondor is one of Tolkien’s most interesting characters — as flawed and tragic as some of the greatest heroes of the First Age. In his rivalry with Thorongil and Gandalf to his strained relationship with Faramir and a stewardship where he resorts to desperate acts to save Gondor, we see his pride, nobility, arrogance and, ultimately, his despair and madness.
In Jackson’s live-action movie trilogy, Denethor (played by John Noble) is written differently — a weak ruler who passively (and even actively) works against Gondor’s defence.
We about to begin this week’s Hall of Fire discussion. Our question today? Pippin Took: Bold, hard halfling or piece of luggage?
Pippin, as Peregrin Took was universally known, was the youngest (and perhaps most reluctantly accepted) of the Fellowship. He was only twenty-eight when he set out with Frodo and Sam from Bag End on the first part of their great journey — quite young for a Hobbit.
What does this say about the character of Peregrin Took? Come join our discussion by clicking the link below!
We’re done for this week! Thanks to everyone who joined us!
Elrond’s heart forbade him going with the Fellowship; Gandalf encouraged him to throw himself down a well as a preventative measure against stupidity.
Tomorrow, in the Hall of Fire, we discuss Pippin Took: Bold, hard halfling or piece of luggage?
Pippin, as Peregrin Took was universally known, was the youngest (and perhaps most reluctantly accepted) of the Fellowship. He was only twenty-eight when he set out with Frodo and Sam from Bag End on the first part of their great journey — quite young for a Hobbit.
What does this say about the character of Peregrin Took?
We’re just about to kick-off our discussion of chapter 19 of the Hobbit in the Hall of Fire. So come and join us and bring your thoughts as we wrap up our journey to there… and back again!
“It was on May the First that the two came back at last to the brink of the valley in Rivendell…”
At Hall of Fire, we’ve reached the end of our chapter-by-chapter read-through of the Hobbit. This weekend we’ll discuss the final chapter, touching on the return journey, the interlude in Rivendell, the final division of the troll hoard and the domestic chaos that Bilbo returns to.
But we’ll also be asking ourselves some wider questions. How has Bilbo changed? Has he matured? Might he have stayed in Rivendell? What does it mean that he returns to Bag End? And how does Bilbo’s fate compare with that of the dwarves, and especially The Master?
