CakeTORn’s LA staffers hosted their 11th annual Baggins Birthday Bash today in Griffith Park. We’ve always held it here, but have been a couple different positions over the years. Today, we moved over to the Mineral Wells area, past the Harding Golf Course, and it finally afforded us some much needed room, since the party has been expanding the past couple of years. There must have been close to 150 folks eating, drinking and having a Tolkien Good Time.

The design motif this year was definitely Dragons and Spiders, we had spiders all over the cake and cupcakes, they were on every table, in the trees and all over the food tent. But there were also dragons, also on the tables and in the trees, but it was Smaug sitting on his pile of gold that got the most attention. You may not be able to notice it, but there are some jewels under his belly in this image, look closely and maybe you will see them. Nothing remains of Smaug, he was desolated when one child ate his head and another ate one of his wings. Someone else asked for a foot, no word on what happened to the tail. There was plenty of Dragon Gold to go around as well, thanks to Wonderland Bakery and their amazing cake designers.

shirt winners

Bag winner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many games were played, including everyone’s favorite Hobbit game, Golfimbul. Prizes of Hats, Bags and Shirts were given out to winners of Golfimbul, both in the Adult and Youth divisions. There was also a very interactive Trivia game contest, two rounds, to determine who knew their Hobbit material best. There are only a few images here, check out the facebook page to find the Baggins Birthday Bash photo album to see the rest. In the crowd, you will notice many Hobbits, Elves, Dwarf women and Gandalf, among other Middle-earth notables.

Yes, we will be hosting this party again next year, so if you find yourself in Los Angeles the weekend of Sept. 20/21, look for the Party Sign and party like a Hobbit, or Dwarf, or Elf, or even a Wizard or two.

Food tent Hat winner

MV5BMTc4NTIwNTI4N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwODM0MjMz__V1_SY317_CR9,0,214,317_Our beautiful Lady Galadriel, actress Cate Blanchett, is going to make her feature film directorial debut.  Ms Blanchett, who has previously directed for the stage, will film a psychological thriller, which will be an adaptation of Herman Koch’s novel The Dinner.  You can read more about Ms Blanchett’s planned debut behind the camera at Deadline Hollywood, here.

Thanks to Ringer spy Owain for the heads up!

RomeAndJulietThanks to all who tweeted and took part in our competition to win tickets to see Orlando Bloom in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway.  The lucky winners have been contacted – congratulations to April, Jessica and Claire!  We hope you enjoy the show!

If you weren’t fortunate enough to be a winner, you can still buy tickets to see this great production of Shakespeare’s play.  Click here for more information, and to buy tickets.

 

 

orlando-bloom-orlando-bloom-smile-sofa Orlando Bloom — who we sometimes know as the elf of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf — made an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to discuss his role in the first Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet in 36 years.

He also chatted with Fallon about The Hobbit, and they showed a short clip of The Happy Hobbit crew’s reaction to the Desolation of Smaug trailer. Check it out! Continue reading “Orlando Bloom on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”

deagolTheOneRing.net readers will remember actor Thomas Robins as Deagol, from that wonderful scene with Andy Serkis at the opening of The Return of the King; and some sharper-eyed viewers may also have spotted him (under heavy prosthetics!) as Young Thrain, in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  What you may not know is that New Zealander Robins also works as a producer and director, and TORn recently had a chance to chat to him about his latest project.  It’s an intriguing one, for sure, and involves combining New Zealand film makers with the nascent movie industry in Laos!  Staffer greendragon talked to Robins to find out more, and of course to ask him about time spent in Middle-earth!  Read the full interview – and find out how you can get involved with Robins’ new movie project – after the break.

Continue reading “Actor Thomas Robins (Deagol and Young Thrain) talks to TORn”

Dominic Monaghan in Wild-Things Looks like Australian ringers will have an opportunity to catch up with Dominic Monaghan in Novewmber when he makes appearances at both the Adelaide and Brisbane editions of the Supanova pop culture expo.


British actor Dominic Monaghan is the latest celebrity to join Supanova’s ensemble cast attending November’s expos in Brisbane and Adelaide. Best known to audiences as the Hobbit Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck in Peter Jackson’s adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, Monahagn also starred in J.J. Abrams’ Lost as rock star Charlie Pace. He also featured alongside Hugh Jackman in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and in sci-fi series FlashForward. Continue reading “Dominic Monaghan to appear at Australia’s Supanova convention”