Once again the fine folks at American Cinematheque will be privileging us with the chance to watch all twelve glorious hours of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended Editions on the big screen. The screening will take place at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday, August 30, and the first film kicks off at 1:00pm. There will be a 20-minute intermission between each film, and your nominally awesome TheOneRing.net staffers will be on hand to provide trivia contests and prizes during the breaks. The Meat in the Middle food truck will also be on hand for your elevnses, tea-time, supper, and dinner needs.
Tickets are available online now for $15 ($10 for Cinematheque members). TheOneRing.net is also giving away one pair of tickets to this special screening. How do you win? You show us your #MiddleEarthLife!
Win tickets: Show us your #MiddleEarthLife
Put on your favorite Middle-earth “lifestyle” and upload the best photo of yourself living a #MiddleEarthLife! We are looking for more than just costumes; show us how a Ranger, an Elf of the Woodland Realm, a Dwarf, or a happy Hobbit might enjoy their leisure time at home (or even in the garden). Even Wizards, Orcs, Eagles, or shape-shifting bear men can try their hand at this contest. One winner will receive a pair of tickets to the August 30 LOTR Trilogy screening at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Imagine if Esquire or Vanity Fair magazines came by to do a “lifestyle interview” of you as a Middle-earth character — what kind of image would be shown as a splash page for your interview? Whether you are shown sporting, relaxing, cooking, gardening, or even other activities like horseback riding or climbing trees to see huge purple butterflies, we are looking for fandom to show us their creativity!
Use hashtag #MiddleEarthLife when you submit your images to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Feel your creativity flow and show us what your lifestyle is like as a character in a casual, fun setting. We will judge entries on how creative the costuming, how appealing the setting, and how closely it ties to the theme. You have until 12:00pm (PST) Wednesday, August 27, 2014, to post your submissions, and the winner will be notified by Thursday, 8/28.
Be sure to use the hashtag #MiddleEarthLife and tell us about your entry!
Cinefex writer Graham Edwards examines what magic in movies should look like, and lists some of his favourite depictions of magic in movies through the years. 
In this 50-minute lecture at at Swarthmore College, Professor Tom Shippey, the author of J.R.R. Tolkien, Author of the Century, charts the creative reshaping of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings into Peter Jackson’s award-winning trilogy of films. 
While everyone is waiting for the promised teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, I thought folks might enjoy revisiting trailers past. So I’ve spent a bit of time delving into our archives to dig up the details of all the trailers for The Lord of the Rings that I could find.