…the most loathly shape that he had ever beheld…Most like a spider she was, but huger than the great hunting beasts…Great horns she had, and behind her short stalk-like neck was her huge swollen body, a vast bloated bag, swaying and sagging between her legs; its great bulk was black, blotched with livid marks, but the belly underneath was pale and luminous and gave forth a stench. Her legs were bent, with great knobbed joints high above her back, and hairs that stuck out like steel spines, and at each leg’s end there was a claw…
Shelob.
For every Tolkien fan, the name leaps from the pages (and screen) of Middle-earth to invade a commonly held fear in our everyday life – the fear of an impossibly large, eight-legged, creepy-crawly finding us in the dark. *shiver* According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that 55% of women and 18% of men are Arachnophobic. You can count me among those with a mild fear of spiders, which basically means I have to ‘act’ the role of father/husband when it comes disposing of them. I can’t very well unleash a high-pitched scream and run away now can I…
So when I first saw the ‘Shelob Attacks’ LEGO® Set at the 2012 Toy Fare, I have to admit…I was a bit creeped out. Yes, its LEGO® blocks, but the piece is still surprisingly life-like. In fact, one of the reporters getting the sneak peek at this set could not go within 5 feet of the display. Yes, he was that Arachnophobic!
Before we get to the meat of this review, I will warn you ahead of time, that I am in no way a LEGO® Set expert. To be honest, I haven’t touched the popular construction toys for possibly 10 years, so I’m a bit behind the times when it comes to the licensed themed sets. However, I can tell you, within 1 minute of opening the box, the wonderful memories of LEGO® set building came swooping back.
TheOneRing.net is pleased to announce our very own Hobbit Movie app, available now in the Apple App Store and Google Marketplace! The app, created by our new staffer Fizzit, combines many of the great features you see on TheOneRing.net into one handy application, and accessible anywhere. Among the app highlights: Latest headlines from TORn; Our exclusive Today in Middle-earth Calendar; Complete Hobbit cast bios, Cast news; Barliman’s Chatroom; and more! We even included ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ trailer for quick reference. But the best feature may be the price…FREE! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for an exciting contest related to the app, and hope you enjoy it. [App Store] [Google Marketplace]
Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, better known here as Figwit, is offering the chance to meet him for a Fair Trade coffee and a chat in this auction run by Oxfam. The winning bidder gets to have coffee with McKenzie and will receive a guitar signed by McKenzie and his Conchords partner Jemaine Clement. Read More
From our own message boards comes this excellent report of Ian McKellen’s one-man show that is raising money for a theater damaged by the devastating earthquake in Christchurch. The actor is (of course) in New Zealand for filming of both parts of “The Hobbit,” a Peter Jackson adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book. Thanks to del girl for sharing her experience on our boards and sending it to our Spymaster@TheOneRing.net adress. She also provided links to another report of the show.
“I have just come back from seeing the first one-man show in Sir Ian’s tour of New Zealand, which is a fundraiser for repairing the earthquake-damaged Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch (were he last played Waiting for Godot).
Radagast’s house by Angus McBride, card art for Middle-earth Collectible Card Game
Rhosgobel. The very word conjures images of poorly named bovines or countrified female pups. We’re told it means “russet village”, “walled house” or “brown town”, which is fitting since it was the last known dwelling of the mysteriously ineffective Radagast the Brown.
The fourth of the Istari to be sent by the Valar to aid Middle-earth in the fight against Sauron, Radagast essentially became a hippie, eschewing contact with Elves and Men and preferring the company of the birds and the beasts for whom he was named. (‘…which is in the tongue of Númenor of old, and signifies, it is said, “tender of beasts”.’) No word on whether he was as avid a fan of Longbottom Leaf as at least one of his fellow Wizards, but I’m guessing so.
Where he lived, exactly, has oft been debated – albeit not very hotly.
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! Continue reading “TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – May 6, 2012”
For every Tolkien fan, the name leaps from the pages (and screen) of Middle-earth to invade a commonly held fear in our everyday life – the fear of an impossibly large, eight-legged, creepy-crawly finding us in the dark. *shiver* According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that 55% of women and 18% of men are Arachnophobic. You can count me among those with a mild fear of spiders, which basically means I have to ‘act’ the role of father/husband when it comes disposing of them. I can’t very well unleash a high-pitched scream and run away now can I…
TheOneRing.net is pleased to announce our very own Hobbit Movie app, available now in the Apple App Store and Google Marketplace! The app, created by our new staffer Fizzit, combines many of the great features you see on TheOneRing.net into one handy application, and accessible anywhere. Among the app highlights: Latest headlines from TORn; Our exclusive Today in Middle-earth Calendar; Complete Hobbit cast bios, Cast news; Barliman’s Chatroom; and more! We even included ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ trailer for quick reference. But the best feature may be the price…FREE! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for an exciting contest related to the app, and hope you enjoy it. [
