As you’ve probably seen already, thanks to a vertitable flood of pledges from all of you we hit our funding goal overnight!
We, now — officially and 100% — have a party happening at the American Legion Hall in Hollywood on Saturday February 21! We are looking forward to seeing you there!
As the funding goal for The One Last Party draws closer, and it looks like we may indeed be able to celebrate this fandom with one last, big, hurrah, we realize that lots of folks are taking the bold step of venturing out their door alone on this mission… quest… thing…
So, for those people coming to The One Last Party alone, here are our top tips and advice to make your trip more fun!
1. DON’T PANIC! (Sorry, borrowing from another fandom there!) MANY of your TORn friends – they are already your friends, even if you have yet to meet them – have taken this step before, venturing out alone, but soon finding themselves surrounded by excellent and admirable fellow fans, who have become cherished companions.
2. If you’re looking to share a hotel room with someone, try posting in the ‘TORn Moots and Other Events’ area of the Message Boards. Start a thread or respond to one – there may already be posts about hotel rooms there. You could also leave a post at the Facebook event page for The One Last Party – see more on that below!
3. If you just would like to know who a few people are – maybe exchange phone numbers – before you head to Hollywood, the suggestions in point 2 also apply. Check out the Facebook Event page – we hope that will be a good online meeting place for people, where they can share the excitement as we all get ready to party together. You’ll have new friends before you even arrive in LA!
4. Don’t fret over what to wear. Dress code for the event is formal or costumes – it is Oscar weekend, after all! This is a chance to wear your red carpet finery – or your pointy ears! In simple terms, it means tuxedos for men and long dresses for women; but there are lots of possibilities! Gents, got a wonderful suit but not a tuxedo? No problem! Ladies, want to wear a cocktail dress so you can dance without tripping over your elven train? That works! Bearded dwarf women, glamorous elves, ladies in tuxedos – it’s all good! So long as you embrace the opportunity to don your glad rags – whatever form they may take! – you’ll look splendid.
5. Should you arrive at the party still not knowing anyone, don’t be afraid to chat to folks in line – for admission, for dinner, for photo ops! You already have a lot in common with these people! Find out how long they’ve been fans, or when they first discovered TheOneRing.net – or share a good moan about the parts of the movies you DON’T enjoy. Nothing builds bonds quite like shared dislikes!
6. Once you get to that photo op moment, invite a stranger to share your barrel! Your fellow Barrel Rider may become your new best friend – and now you have a photo of the moment you met!
7. When it comes to dinner, no seats are reserved! We’ll all be feasting like hobbits and moving around to see what else is going on, so don’t be afraid to grab a seat and start a conversation – just maybe try to have slightly better table manners than the dwarves…
8. Don’t be shy, Samwise Gamgee! Instead of just having another pint of ale, get up and dance! You may find your Rosie Cotton on the dance floor…
9. It’s ok to be a book lover, a movie lover, a Rankin/Bass fan or a relative newbie to the world of Tolkien’s words! Anything goes – Ringers come in all shapes and forms, from all nations and all backgrounds, and that’s one of the things which is so great about the fandom.
10. Don’t forget your pocket handkerchief! It’s an exciting business, going out of your door – there is no knowing where you might be swept off to…
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
Many of you will have seen the video Peter Jackson posted to his Facebook page back in December, as a thank you to and celebration of the fans. What you may not know is that TORn staffer Maura appeared in the video! Here are her thoughts on this epic journey of fandom:
We have all made top ten lists of our favorite Lord of the Rings moments. At the 2014 Comic-Con International a group of fans were given the opportunity to share their memories and hopes for the final installment on camera, including yours truly. The end result was a heart-warming video posted on Peter Jackson’s Facebook page on December 3rd, that has been viewed over a million times.
Despite my donning of the “I *heart* hot dwarves” tee shirt (had to represent for TORn) one of my favorite moments was the appearance of the Prince of Mirkwood in The Desolation of Smaug. I’m not going to lie; it’s a relief that they didn’t use my uncomfortably long gush about the beauty that is Legolas. That’s the kind of embarrassment that can come back to haunt you at, say, company holiday parties or family gatherings. Does anyone else experience this – the “Legolas Effect”? Once I start, I simply cannot stop.
It can’t be a coincidence that many of us believe the movies’ most enduring legacy is the friendships that have resulted. It was a point I myself had made during my interview. That’s why a site like TheOneRing.net is so important. It has been a haven for like-minded people to assemble, discuss, debate and celebrate our common admiration for an author and his books, as well as a filmmaker and his films. So as the campaign for The One Last Party draws to a close, won’t you consider making that pledge, leaving the comfort of your armchair and books, and joining us for one final adventure?
These bonds of fellowship we’ve forged over the years are strong and should be honored by hoisting a glass. Oh, and if you want to have a serious conversation about the silver blue intensity of Legolas’s eyes in the Hobbit films versus the Lord of the Rings films, I’ll be at the bar.
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
EXCITING NEWS! As we are so close to our goal for The One Last Party, we feel confident that we can now announce our PARTY VENUE!
The One Last Party will be held at the American Legion Hall, Hollywood. This was our venue for The Return of the One Party in 2004, and The One Expected Party in 2013. It will be great to return to this old friend for our last big hurrah!
The nearest hotels are Best Western (next door), the Hilton Garden Inn, the Holiday Inn Express, and the BLVD. Hotel across the street.
Onwards to our goal! Let’s make this party a reality!
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
Staffer Justin spots the Hobbit connections in yesterday’s Golden Globes awards ceremony:
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was not nominated in any categories at the 2015 Golden Globes, but it was still very present at the ceremony. From the outset of the first award, Benedict Cumberbatch raised his hand to present on stage with Jennifer Aniston. Smaug the prankster was just getting warmed up.
A few minutes later during a photo-op gag featuring Meryl Streep and Margaret Cho, Benedict repeated his famous #Cumberbomb in what was probably one of the most DVR-rewind moments of the night. (Click the image for the animated GIF!)
Eddie Redmayne took home best dramatic actor for The Theory of Elvenking errr Every Ring errr Everything, but few knew about his Hobbit connection! Mr Redmayne originally auditioned for Bilbo way back when, and the audition did not go very well. Watch the video below to see him telling Graham Norton about it.
Fans on Twitter also spotted BOFUR himself James Nesbitt in the audience!
Several awards including Screenplay and Comedy Actor went to BIRDMAN. We are talking about the same bird man right?
Martin Freeman and the team in FARGO won for Best Miniseries. That makes Martin one of the most gilded TV actors between Sherlock and Fargo.
Even without any nods to The Hobbit, the fact that Middle-earth has touched the careers of so many wonderful actors makes for a fun awards watching experience. Awards season is just getting started – will you help us bring it to an eagle-soaring completion at #OneLastParty?
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
We’re into the final week of The One Last Party Indiegogo campaign, and only 20% away from our goal! With a last push in these closing days we can get there – and hold a celebration of this journey of fandom we’ve been on together!
We’ve been eager, from the start, to provide ways for fans to be involved with this celebration, even if you can’t make it to Los Angeles. The campaign includes signed collectibles and stunning art work available as perks; an opportunity to get access to a live stream of the party; and a special ‘Thank You’ which we will send to Peter Jackson, with the names of all who pledge. There are also ‘Supporter of Special Magnificence’ tshirts available, which feature the words, ’17 years is far too short a time to party among such excellent and admirable fans’.
The One Last Party is about the Fellowship of Fandom, and we hope that everyone who enjoys TheOneRing.net will feel able to be a part of it in some way. Which leads us to the awesome GIVEAWAY we have to announce!
Thanks to one very generous supporter, who is keen to see the campaign reach its goal, we have got our hands on a Battle of the Five Armies poster, signed at San Diego ComicCon by:
Dwalin – Graham McTavish
Gollum – Andy Serkis
Tauriel – Evangeline Lilly
Thranduil – Lee Pace
Legolas – Orlando Bloom
Bard – Luke Evans
Smaug – Benedict Cumberbatch
Frodo – Elijah Wood
Galadriel – Cate Blanchett
This poster (measuring 13′ by 20′), together with the holographic wristband that was needed to get it at SDCC, will be given away to one lucky supporter, chosen at random from all the pledges of $10 and above that we receive THIS WEEK (Monday 12th to Sunday 18th January).
The poster will only be given away IF we reach our goal! If we get to $180k by (or before!) the deadline on Sunday 18th, one name will be chosen at random to receive this amazing poster and wristband. Each new pledge of $10 or higher during this final week will be a separate entry into the draw; the more times you pledge, the more chances you have to win!
(If you don’t want to run the risk of not winning, remember, you could pledge for the ‘Gimli, Son of Gloin’ perk and get a larger poster signed by 12 cast members!)
Help us reach our goal, be part of the celebration, and this fabulous signed poster could be on its way to you!
Huge thanks to the generous supporter who has donated this amazing item; and to all who have supported The One Last Party so far. Together we can make this celebration a reality! Click here to visit the campaign: theonelastparty.com
(Please note, the poster is displayed on a frame in the photographs; the frame is not included in the giveaway! Poster will be shipped carefully packaged in a tube.)
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
