NEW ORLEANS,, 12 February 2004 /PRNewswire/ — Feb. 12 – As if hobbits didn’t have enough excitement this year, now they are planning to take over New Orleans during Mardi Gras! Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan, stars from the hit movie “The Lord of the Rings,” will be throwing “precious” things to the crowds as part of the 147th celebration of Fat Tuesday in New Orleans. Wood is set to reign as King Bacchus 2004, while Monaghan will rule as Celebrity Monarch over the Krewe of Orpheus.
Frodo and his friend Merry won’t be the only stars in town for the celebration. Country music artists LeeAnn Rimes and Brad Paisley will also reign over the festivities. Rimes will be the Grand Marshall of the The Krewe of Endymion, the largest parade during Carnival with over 1,000,000 people lining its route. Paisley, Harry Connick, Jr. and New Orleans’ own Neville Brothers are other celebrities scheduled for performances.
Over a million tourists and locals are expected to line the streets to see the stars and to participate in the numerous festive happenings scheduled around this hedonistic event. Several lavish balls and over 59 parades are scattered throughout the city, all leading up to February 24, which is Mardi Gras Day.
When asked about Mardi Gras, or the “Greatest Free Show on Earth,” New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said with enthusiasm, “When the marching bands kick in, you won’t be able to keep your feet still. When float riders taunt you with beads, you won’t be able to stop screaming, `Throw me something, Mister!”
This year, people worldwide will access the Internet to learn about the traditions and culture surrounding this holiday and to see live broadcasts of these exciting parades and events. Details about Mardi Gras 2004, including parade routes, recommendations on lodging, and informational videos are available now at http://www.mardigrasday.com/. Also available are colorful pictures of last year’s celebration, Cajun recipe ideas, and decorating tips (as a consolation prize) for those who just can’t make it down to the Big Easy this year.
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.
The focus of thehalloffire for the next months will be JRR Tolkiens ‘The Hobbit’. But before starting with the book we will take a closer look at the events prior to the Unexpected Party at Bag End. How did the most succesfull business enterprise of the Third Age get started? What were the motivations of the founders of Thorin & Company? We shall begin with Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield running into one another on the Road to Bree. A chance-meeting as we say in Middle-earth.
Suggested Reading:
The quest of Erebor (Unfinished tales) Durins Folk (Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings)
Upcoming topics:
weekend 210204-220204 Chapter I from ‘The Hobbit’: An unexpected party
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
Sheltercats writes: “Will & Grace” was on tonight, instead of Thursday, and there was a funny bit involving ROTK. Will had a new client (the very funny Dave Foley from ‘Newsradio’ and ‘The Kids in the Hall’), and one of the first things he asked Will was whether or not he had watched LOTR. The client said he couldn’t work with a lawyer who hadn’t seen all 3 films; he didn’t want anyone who had “come in at the end.”
Will said of course he had seen them, what’s not to like about a movie with boys named Merry and Pippin searching for a piece of jewelry?
Then the client said something else about the film, and Will said something like, “When Theoden’s daughter Eowyn stabbed the Witch-King, I screamed like an Uruk-hai.”
Then the client said, “Hey, I liked the movies, but I’m not one of those freaks.”
Hi there–I don’t know if you can use this for the site, but I attended a press screening of 50 First Dates tonight. The movie was god-awful and quite literally the only bright spot throughout was Sean Astin. Not only was it damn nice to see Samwise back on a screen, but he was hysterical!
He plays Doug, Drew Barrymore’s protective, juiced-up brother (not to mention his very funny lisp) and without giving anything away, he has a very great “***** dance” which was truly the only thing that made me laugh out loud during the flick. Not worth your money, but good old Sean does not disappoint. Surely you deserve a loose role like this after years spent in hobbit’s feet!
MASTER REPLICAS PARTNERS WITH NEW LINE CINEMA TO CREATE ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS’TM ELECTRONIC COLLECTIBLES
Quality, Expertise and Strong Success Cited
Los Angeles, February 10, 2004–Master Replicas announced today a partnership with New Line Cinema to create and market electronic collectible prop replicas for the award-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Master Replicas will introduce collectibles spanning all three movies beginning spring 2004.
Master Replicas has helped pioneer the category of official, licensed movie and television collectible prop replicas. The company creates a limited number of select prop replicas annually, adding to the uniqueness and value of each piece. To ensure the accuracy of its replicas, Master Replicas goes through a rigorous development process with an obsessive attention to quality and detail. This includes:
Detailed examination and measurement of the original prop
Extensive high-resolution digital photographs of the original prop
State-of-the-art laser scanning of the original prop to produce an extremely accurate digital model
Intensive study of studio archival photos and documentation of the original prop’s creation
Hand-assembly and meticulous finishing of each piece
Stringent quality control in the manufacturing and finishing process
“The Lord of the Rings is a tremendous property, and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with New Line Cinema,” said Scott Vogel, CEO and President of Master Replicas. “The initial products are already in the works, and we look forward to rolling out a line of merchandise that will exceed all expectations.”
“Master Replicas has done an outstanding job developing their extensive line of The Lord of the Rings high-end electronic replicas,” commented Randi Goodman, Senior Vice President, Domestic Licensing & Merchandising, New Line Cinema. “We’re impressed with their technology and pleased to offer consumers a whole new dimension of The Lord of the Rings collectibles.”
About Master Replicas LLC
Master Replicas LLC is an industry leader in movie and television prop replicas. With an extremely experienced executive team, Master Replicas leverages an attractive combination of professional business management with extensive prop replica experience. Other licenses include Star Wars® and Star Trek®. Master Replicas produces only officially licensed products, with extreme attention to product authenticity, product quality, and customer service. For all the latest news about Master Replicas’ official prop replicas, please visit http://www.masterreplicas.com.
About New Line Cinema
Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is among the entertainment industry’s leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units. More information about New Line Cinema can be obtained at www.newline.com. For more information about the critically-acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, please visit www.lordoftherings.net
