Carol writes: The Phoenix Symphony has just announced it will perform the Western United States premiere of “The LOTR Symphony” on May 26. Conducting will be Alexander Mikelthwate, who worked closely with composer Howard Shore in helping to prepare the American premiere of the symphony in March. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning April 4 through the Symphony’s website and through the Phoneix Symphony Box Office at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 5. Tickets are priced at $16, $25, $34, $43, and $55. [More]
Category: Old Special Reports
Bilbo wakes up lost and afraid in the dark. Not knowing where he’s going, he starts crawling and all of a sudden one of his hands makes contact with a small cold metal-ring. Putting the ring in his pocket the Hobbit stumbles on towards the roots of the mountains. Deep down by a subterranean pool Gollum is waiting.
What is the nature of the riddle game, and what do you think influenced Tolkien when he thought it up? What do we learn about Gollum and the ring? What did you make of the ring when you first read this chapter? Join us in #thehalloffire as we take a look at Chapter 5 of ‘The Hobbit’ – Riddles in the dark.
Upcoming topics:
weekend 100404-110404: cinematic possibilities of ‘The Hobbit’
weekend 170404-180404: The Hobbit – Chapter 6
weekend 240404-250404: Tolkien and environmentalism
weekend 010504-020504: The Hobbit – Chapter 7
Times:
Saturday Chat:
5:30pm ET (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 9:30am Sunday (09:30) AET]
Sunday Chat:
7:00 pm (19:00) CET
[also 1:00pm (13:00) ET and 5:00am (05:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AET = Australian East Coast
Do you have a possible topic for Hall of Fire? Drop us a line at
halloffire@theonering.net
Jens Hansen – Gold & Silversmith, www.jenshansen.com, Creators & Designers of the One Ring for the LOTR movies, are pleased to announce the gifting of one of the first of a limited edition set of replicas to the city of Eureka, CA.
A group led by Paul Matheson, Mayor of Nelson, New Zealand visited the city of Eureka in California on the weekend to formalise a sister city arrangement between the two cities. As part of the exchanging of gifts Mayor Matheson presented #2 of a limited edition of 100 replicas of Sauron’s gauntlet ring. The ring was made in the Jens Hansen workshop for the Nelson City Council and measures almost 2 inches in diameter, and is made of close to 3 oz. of sterling silver & richly plated in 18ct gold.
The Nelson region in the South Island of New Zealand was home to sets for the filming of Chetwood Forest, Rivendell and the Dimrill Dale exit from the Mines of Moria.
Read more:
Flashtalon writes: Shippey’s coming to Holland, Michigan this week. Thought some other folk might like to know. Snitched from the Campus Website; here’s the press release:
Tolkien Scholar to Discuss Film Adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings
HOLLAND – One of the world’s leading experts on J.R.R. Tolkien, Dr. T.A. Shippey of St. Louis University, will present “From Page to Screen: Problems Tolkien Set for Jackson” at Hope College on Thursday, April 1, at 4 p.m. in the Maas Center conference room.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The lecture will focus on the adaptation of Tolkien’s best-selling fantasy work “The Lord of the Rings” into a trio of films directed by Peter Jackson:“The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Two Towers” (2002), and “The Return of the King” (2003). “The Return of the King” won 11 Academy Awards in February, including Best Picture.
Shippey was involved with the production of the films, being responsible for proper pronunciation of names in them.
Commenting on his lecture topic, Shippey said, “I think the interesting question about the films is, for all the care taken over details, does the change of medium not create an inevitable change of message? And if so, in what direction is the change? And what would Professor Tolkien have said?
Shippey is best known for two important and influential books on Tolkien, “The Road to Middle-Earth” (1982) and “J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century” (2000). His life and career in many respects follow in Tolkien’s. Like Tolkien, Shippey attended King Edward’s School, Birmingham; both played rugby for the Old Edwardians; both attended Oxford, where Shippey was one of Tolkien’s last students; both taught at Oxford (Shippey for seven years at St. John’s College, overlapping with Tolkien’s last years of retirement); and both held the position of Professor of English Language at Leeds University (Tolkien from 1920 to 1925, Shippey later filling the same chair and following Tolkien’s syllabus before he moved to the United States).
Shippey is currently the Walter J. Ong, S.J., Chair of Humanities at St. Louis University. He is editor of the series “Studies in Medievalism,” which was founded by the late Leslie Workman and for many years was edited and produced at Hope College.
As with Tolkien, Shippey’s academic specialty is medieval literature, especially the earliest literature of Anglo-Saxon England. He has published several books in this field, including “Old English Verse” (1972), “Poems of Wisdom and Learning in Old English” (1976), a critical study of “Beowulf” (1978), and “Beowulf: The Critical Heritage” (1998).
He has long been interested in modern fantasy and science fiction. In addition to his work on Tolkien, he has edited numerous volumes such as “The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories” (1992) and “The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories” (1994). He also writes science fiction and fantasy himself.
Shippey is appearing at Hope as the De Graaf Lecturer for 2004. The Clarence De Graaf Lectureship was established in 1988 by the family of Dr. Clarence De Graaf in memory of his service on the faculty of Hope College. De Graaf, who died in 1986, taught in the department of English for 44 years, until his retirement in 1972, and served as department chair for 25 of those years.
The Maas Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street.
PIPNLVR writes: I spotted this article in Norm Clarkes’ “Vegas Confidential” column of the Las Vegas Review Journal a few days ago:
CASINO-SET FILM ATTRACTS ASTIN
SEAN ASTIN, a loyal hobbit in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, could be shooting a lot of Las Vegas scenes this summer. Astin has expressed a serious interest in signing up with Las Vegas-based Insomnia Entertainment for a role in a casino-set film “Yonkers Joe.”
Astin would portray an estranged Down Syndrome-stricken son of an old-school dice hustler who is trying to rekindle his relationship with his son in the middle of plotting a big casino scam. JAMES WOODS is a front-runner for the father’s role, said TRENT OTHICK, Insomnia honcho.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Comic actor Jack Black has been in cast alongside Naomi Watts in Peter Jackson’s remake of “King Kong,” the director said Monday.
Black will play Carl Denham, an adventurer filmmaker who is trying to make a name for himself in 1930s New York. Robert Armstrong played the role in the 1933 original. (Jackson has said he is pretending the 1976 update does not exist.)
Watts is playing Ann Darrow, an American actress who makes a living performing in Broadway song and dance shows. The project, which will shoot in Jackson’s native New Zealand, is set up at Universal Pictures.
“I’ve been wanting to work with Jack Black ever since I saw him in High Fidelity,” said Jackson, who is also writing the remake along with his “Lord of the Rings” co-screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. “He’s a smart and versatile actor blessed with an abundance of energy and charm and I’m absolutely thrilled that he is joining us on ‘Kong.”‘
Black earned a Golden Globe nomination this year for his starring role in last fall’s hit comedy “The School of Rock.” His other credits include “Orange County” and “Shallow Hal.”