Focalor writes: On 4 and 5 June 2011 the Rotterdam Philharmonic will play in the Netherlands, a true spectacle be heard. In the Great Hall of de Doelen a giant screen showing the film version of Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The music that Howard Shore composed for the film is simultaneously performed live on stage, by the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Netherlands Radio Choir and the National Youth Choir. Nearly 200 musicians and singers bring Middle Earth to life with the music of one of the best known and most enchanting soundtracks ever. Following the success at the Royal Albert Hall (London) and Radio City Music Hall (New York) now exclusively in the Doelen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. More..

Wired: These photos show the kind of fine dining that keeps a hobbit happy.

The eight courses — served during traditional hobbit meal times like breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper — made for quite a spread this past weekend at the annual screening of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas.

“Each year we must gather to recount the epic quest of the hobbit Frodo and his merry band of dwarfs, wizards, elves and Viggo’s,” the cinema said in a press release. “We snuggle up together and watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy — nearly 12 hours — and get loaded to the gills with food, beer and wine all inspired by Tolkien’s Middle-earth.” More..

Janeta writes: A grand start to the New Year: The Egyptian Theater will be screening “the director’s cut” of LOTR on January 22, starting at 1:00. From the website: Saturday, January 22 – 1:00 PM: The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), marking its 30th anniversary, has selected the 30 Most Significant Independent Films(tm) from around the world produced over the past three decades. Director Peter Jackson and a brilliantly talented cast and crew brought to cinematic life J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure of good against evil. The future of civilization rests on the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries, and powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. Fate has placed it in the hands of a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who undertakes a heroic quest through Middle Earth. With Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen. Tickets

Triple Feature: 10th Anniversary! THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, 2001, Warner Bros., 208 min. Dir. Peter Jackson. [35mm]
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, 2002, Warner Bros., 223 min. Dir. Peter Jackson. [35mm]
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, 2003, Warner Bros., 201 min. Dir. Peter Jackson. [BluRay]