J.R.R. TolkienRinger Diedye points us to a Telegraph.co.uk story about Play.com’s top 50 Novels of all time. The top 5 are as follows:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
2. Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S Lewis
4. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
5. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

For the complete article, check out the Telegraph Online. [Full List]

CR-ROTKAfter months of being listed as “Not Available”, the 4 disc set of the Complete Recordings of the Return of the King is again listed as “In Stock” at the Warner Brother’s site and Amazon.com. Warner Brothers only ships to the US. Doug Adams, (author of the upcoming book The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films) is offering additional information to non-US residents at his blog.

Kaitlyn LuskKaitlyn Lusk will include four songs from the LOTR soundtrack–May It Be, Breaking The Fellowship, Gollum’s Song, Into the West–on her new recording, FilmSong. You can hear a preview and purchase a Special Edition Single of “Into the West” at her website.

Kaitlyn is the featured vocal soloist for the Lord of the Rings Symphony and the Fellowship of the Ring Symphony (performed live to the movie) and is a big fan of the music. She wrote at Doug Adams’ blog:

Sitting next to the conductor and directly in front of the orchestra, I’m the only person who takes in both the audience’s perspective as well as that of the musicians. Whether through the vibrations of my seat, or looking out into the enraptured crowd, I’ve uniquely witnessed hundreds of nights filled with the human and artistic emotions that are inspired by Tolkien’s story and Howard Shore’s beloved music. After five years of singing this music…I can whole-heartedly say I am as thrilled today as I was the first time I got the call to sing. Funny story: after jumping and screaming on the phone they asked if I needed the music and I replied, “Are you kidding? I already know it!”

Thanks to Doug Adams for his heads up on Kaitlyn’s new recording.

Photo by Chuck Fong.

[Kaitlyn Lusk] [Howard Shore] [Doug Adams]

Dark Counsel DioramaSideshow Collectibles has started taking pre-orders for the ‘Dark Counsel‘ diorama – featuring Brad Dourif as Grima Wormtongue and Bernard Hill as Theoden. They have also posted a 360° turnaround of the piece (see image). In other LOTR updates, Sideshow has posted their production photography for the Sam and Frodo 12-inch figures – if you haven’t picked up you figures yet, now is the time. The Samwise Gamgee and the Frodo Baggins Exclusive Editions (only available via Sideshow’s website and have an extra accessory) are on second chance and should sell out shortly. Also on second chance is the popular ‘Treachery of Saruman‘ diorama which is getting some great reviews. And last, if you are on the fence about any of these collectibles, check out the ‘Backstage Pass‘ features. They are neat little videos that explain the figure and showcase what makes Sideshow items worth owning. [Dark Counsel Diorama] [Frodo 12-inch Exclusive] [Samwise 12-inch Exclusive] [Hobbit Backstage Pass Video] [Treachery of Saruman Diorama] [Treachery of Saruman Backstage Pass Video]

Dark Council DioramaCollectors can look forward to a pretty realistic looking diorama coming soon from Sideshow Collectibles titled “‘Dark Council’ – Theoden and Grima Wormtongue.” From the looks of the piece, the sculptors have perfectly captured the likeness of Brad Dourif as Grima and Bernard Hill as the possessed Theoden. If Sideshow follows their regular schedule, we can expect this item to pre-order next week around 6pm PT. And if you are a Cate Blanchett fan, check out the Sideshow/Weta Polystone Statue of Galadriel, now listed at 35% OFF. [Dark Council Diorama] [The Lady Galadriel Statue]

drgrordborts2Fantastic Nonsense! Or as Dr Grordbort himself might say, “absolute balderdash.” And what fun! Dr Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory is a recent product of Weta Workshops, launched in New Zealand last month, though available overseas before that. I got hold of a copy recently and found it zany, funny as heck, and a lovely object in its own right.
Continue reading “Tehanu Reviews Weta Workshop’s “Dr Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory””