Daniel Fienberg sends this along: What better way to kick off this January’s Television Critics Association press tour than with Sir Ian McKellen discussing his upcoming Great Performances version of “King Lear,” which he acknowledges is generally a career-capping role for most Shakespearean actors. “If, like me, you’ve worked your way through Shakespeare as an actor, waiting up there is King Lear and beyond him a shadowy Prospero maybe or a Falstaff,” says McKellen, who admits to being terrified of Falstaff. McKellen adds, “It’s the challenge. It’s the expectation that it will complete your journey through Shakespeare.” Of course, no matter how much acclaim McKellen gets for his stage work, he knows that he’ll always be recognized in the street for something different. Press Tour: King Lear is semi-nude and Gandalf may be gay
Category: Events
Cardiff University is offering an on-line course on Tolkien taught in 10 weekly units by Dr Dimitra Fimi. The course has already run once this academic year and will run two more times in the Spring and Summer semesters 2009, starting on 19 January 2009 and 27 April 2009 respectively.
The students will be able to explore Tolkien’s Middle-earth from their home, in their own time. They will examine the vast mythology behind The Lord of the Rings and gain a thorough knowledge of Tolkien’s fiction and its creation by focusing on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin. Continue reading “Online Tolkien Course”
French Ringers, and anyone in the vicinity of the City of Lights in late January, will be able to catch a showing of the theatrical versions of all three Lord of the Rings movies at the Cinéma Abel Gance in Courbevoie. The festivities will begin at 20:00 on the 24th of January and continue into the next morning. Breakfast (or second breakfast) will be offered by the cinema for those brave enough to make it to the end of the marathon. A great opportunity to see the trilogy again on the big screen! Advanced reservations are recommended. Read More
Canada’s Olympic broadcasters unveiled the first stage in a six-phase advertising series today, promising the largest Olympic campaign ever fielded by a media company. Dubbed BELIEVE, the campaign features heavyweight talent including actor Donald Sutherland and composer Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Silence of the Lambs). Slated as a rallying cry to Canadians ahead of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, it’s designed to make household names of Canada’s elite competitive athletes. The most ambitious aspect of the first phase, which officially launches today, is a pair of 60-second commercials. Howard Shore Launches Olympic Campaign
TheOneRing.net raises its glass to today to join fans the world over in toasting the master of Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born January 3rd 1892.
If you’d like to join in the worldwide toast, The Tolkien Society has its annual event organized where fans can sign up to toast by hoisting the liquid beverage of your choice to “The Professor”.
Just a reminder note. Los Angeles area Tolkien fans will be gathering at the Cat & Fiddle pub on Sunset starting at 6pm for dinner and the traditional 9pm Toast to the Professor. You can find the Cat & Fiddle at 6530 Sunset Blvd., LA, CA 90028.