[Annatar] hello, we’re trying to connect a 2nd machine right now, this is paul, Kris will also be here, but not jeff [Gorlab] This is Kris again, and I am now Balrog backwards… [Gorlab] Today’s lesson is full of perilous phonology, dangerous diphthongs, and phunny phrases….stay tuned… [Gorlab] 8 O’clock…. [Gorlab] The ring of power is no trifle……or truffle…now the ring of Truffle is VERY tasty… [jincey] mmmmm truffles [Gorlab] Gandalf is no ordinary wizard, but part of a special group of powers…..like Silent Bob has in Mallrats…. [Annatar] elen sila lumenn’ omentielvo [[Gorlab] Elen Sila Lumenn Omentielvo fellow Elvish language lovers! [Gorlab] Today’s lesson oh fair people, shall cover some of the most basic principles of Elvish, which are instrumental in speaking both Quenya and Sindarin… [Gorlab] Elvish has a common source. [Gorlab] It is known as Primitive Elvish (or Primitive Quendian if you like) [Annatar] fortunately, the Professor (tolkien) used essentially the same rules for “spelling” or transliterating both Sindarin and Quenya [Gorlab] Exactly – owing to their common source… [Gorlab] the first idea is that of the letter “c” [Gorlab] Lots of early Elvish used the letter “K” [Annatar] Presumably, they were both written in Tenwar in the “source documents” but in differing modes, however, when written in Roman alphabet, the same rules apply [Gorlab] But the Professor wanted to make Quenya seem a lot more Latinized… [Gorlab] so he adopted “c” [Annatar] Tolkien decided that K was “uncouth” [Gorlab] “c” is ALWAYS pronounced like “k” [Annatar] unless combines with H [Annatar] in which case youget the ch of German “ich” [Gorlab] so, for instance Celeborn (husband of Galadriel) is pronouced “Keleborn”, never “Seleborn” [Gorlab] Next is “qu”. “Qu” is the preffered spelling, never “q” by itself [Demcoffee] it took me ages to catch onto the pronunciation sublties in the names [Gorlab] Only Tolkien’s earliest languages used “q” by itself. [Gorlab] Next is “X” instead of “ks” as in “Helcaraxe” [Annatar] However, it is not the Q of “iraq” but pronounced qu [Gorlab] next is “N” [Maeglin_Lomion] Pronunciation question: “Fingolfin”…is it Fing(ng as in sing) -ol-fin, or Fin-gol-fin? [Elaran] is not gandalf from the mannish tongues? [Gorlab] Gandalf is actually an old Norse word from the icelandic eddas… [Elaran] indeed, just curious [Gorlab] I believe he was a dwarf in that story… [Annatar] I believe that it’s fin-GOL-fin [Maeglin_Lomion] Thank you [Ks] question ? [Gorlab] Yes? [Ks] i live in israel.. does the elvish dudes got the het letter? [Ks] i mean [Ks] can they say [Ks] het [Ks] ç [Ks] cant say it [Annatar] pronouced? [Ks] in english [Ks] u dont use that sound [Ks] AT ALL [Ks] so its hard to pronounce [Annatar] arabic? [Ks] hebrew [Gorlab] you are reffering to the semitic/arabic idea of the sound in the back of the throat? [Annatar] no, do they use it in arabic? [Ks] yes they use it in arabic 2 [Gorlab] as in chutzpah? [Ks] ken [Ks] yes [Gorlab] Not exactly… [Ks] yes [Ks] the first letter [Annatar] what context? [Ks] the first sound [Ks] of chutzpah [Ks] chu [Annatar] that is the ch of evlish approximately [Ks] okay [Gorlab] Elves DO pronounce “hy” as an “ich-laut” and “ht” as an “ach-laut” [Mo] is it kind of like a spitting sound in the back of your throat Ks? [Gorlab] It’s more of a germanic idea than the hebrew sound… [Annatar] ich is unvoiced, ach is voiced [Gorlab] The Elvish is a similar sound, but more in the front of the mouth… [Annatar] let’s talk about my fave — “dh” [Annatar] TH in English is pronouced 2 ways [Gorlab] Ah! DH…found all over Sindarin… [Annatar] in Elvish TH is voiceless “”thing” [Annatar] DH is voiced “them” [Gorlab] not as in “thought” [Annatar] no [Maeglin_Lomion] Aredhel – “soft” TH? [Figgy] as in…? [Annatar] D was Sometimes used for DH in Tolkiens early writings [Gorlab] a good word seen in the LOTR movie I believe is Galadhrim… [Figgy] oooh…cool [Annatar] but he later smitched to DH for clarity in LOTR [Annatar] in the 1st Editon of LOTR it’s “Galadrim” [Elaran] interesting [Annatar] but he later changed it to “GalaDHrim” [Gorlab] Try the soft “th” sound followed by the trilled “r” [Dsthenes] ah, interesting [Gorlab] it’s a beautiful sound… [Figgy] it sounds very nice 🙂 [GuestLastar] makes it easier to pronounce [Annatar] “galad” is “light” “galadh” is tree [Dsthenes] galathrim? [Annatar] Galadriel has the “light” element like Gil Galad [Elaran] Haldir is about the only person to pronounce Galadhrim correctly (in the extended version) [Annatar] he’s a good elf [Gorlab] Yes, Elaran! [Elaran] Gimli mutilates it 😉 [Gorlab] Gimli WOULD though… [Elaran] sorry to interupt! [GuestLastar] ah. evil dwarves [Annatar] GalaDHrim has the “tree” element [Ks] tree? [Annatar] tree people [Elaran] galadh= tree galad = light [Gorlab] The Galadhrim are the peoples of Lothlorien… [Gorlab] Of the trees… [Annatar] A great name with DH is Maedhros form the Silmarillion [Maeglin_Lomion] That is a beautiful-sounding name. [Annatar] ’cause, he also has the AE sound [Gorlab] which brings us to long and short vowels… [Dsthenes] Now I’m going to have to reform a heap of name pronunciations again. 🙂 [Gorlab] whenever you see a vowel by itself… [Annatar] it’s difficult to pronounce but it’s like “I” in English [Gorlab] it is pronounced “short” [Lefolas] how many times have you guys done all of this? teaching people elvish [Gorlab] but when you see a vowel with an accent mrk above it… [2[Gorlab] that vowel becomes long… [Figgy] example? [Gorlab] short “A” is pronounced like “Han Solo”. when we first meet him in Star Wars… [Gorlab] long “A” os pronounced as in “father” [Figgy] I see [Indil] so, the circumflex accent always indicates a long vowel? [Gorlab] Yes… [Annatar] yes, but it’s also used for visual effect in non-Elven tongues [Lady_Samwise] hte a in father and in han sound the same though [Legolas17] ok my question is ok now…. i guess [Legolas17] the double l, like in ‘mellon’ -friend [Maeglin_Lomion] So â would be pronounced like the a in “day?” [Annatar] such as Adunaic and Khuxdul — Dwarvish [samgamgee7] yea, i got lost on that one too, Lady_Samwise… [Elaran] they should sound the same, the only difference is the length [Lady_Samwise] 🙂 [samgamgee7] a lil further clarification on that one? [Figgy] yeah [Legolas17] is it not pronounced like in the back of the throat h [Figgy] their length is different [Legolas17] ? [Lady_Samwise] oh IC… [Figgy] maybe “cat” and “father” [samgamgee7] ahhh, ok : ) [Gorlab] “Han” is more like “hand” than the “a” in “father” [Annatar] for the AY in day you need EI [Indil] I think like the a in man rather than han [Lia_the_vampire] im a little confused [Maeglin_Lomion] Thank you. [Annatar] Okay from the top [Gorlab] “man” will do fine… [Annatar] A is the European “a” [[Gorlab] short “a” is like “man” [Gorlab] long “a” is like “Father” [Elaran] as in british english? or are we refering to other celtic or Norse languages? [Annatar] “E” is the Euro “E” not the American one [Annatar] Italian is a good guide to Elvish vowels [Maeglin_Lomion] Example? I’m American [CloakedGuest thinks to pronounce the majority of vowels as they would be in Spanish [Lia_the_vampire] im a vampire [Gorlab] short “i” is like “pit” [Annatar] and long is like Pete [Gorlab] long “i” is like the one in “machine” [Annatar] O is like “Lore” [[Gorlab] short “o” is like “box” [Gorlab] long “o” is like “sore” [liam] We’re talking Sindarin, right? [Annatar] but not “Open” [Annatar] same for Q and S [Gorlab] these pronunciations are nearly universal for elvish… [Annatar] Different in Tengwar, Same in the Roman Characters [liam] Q doesn’t make as much difference between long and short vowels, I understand. [Annatar] not really, but the spelling in English takes care of that [hobbit] wut does Falchrist mean? [hobbit] short i, not long [Gorlab] Sounds Old english…Annatar? [Annatar] Coast Cleaver? [Elaran] it means something on the order of “deep cutting ravine” or possibly “deep cutting cleaver” [Annatar] Falas — coast, Orcrist Orc -cleaver [Eressea] Most of the r’s seem to be trilled. [liam] and hold the second o a little longer. [Gorlab] actually, the “r’ must be trilled in all positions… [CloakedGuest] Also, from Old English I believe, the “Gan” part means “to wander” … for I am descended from someone called Ganger. [Mo] what is a trilled r? [Eressea] Standard Elvish pronunciation to trill r’s? [Elaran] tis what gives the language part of its flavor =) Tolkien seemed to dislike the uvelar r that the french use [Salquendor] from what i understand quenya vowels are like romance language vowels, from the site it seems to be all of my spanish vowels and the quenya vowels match (short form) [liam] trilled r’s are a bit like Spanish rr [Annatar] it can be tappped, bur it is never the retoflex R of American English [Guest1] whats hello in elvish? [Indil] so the trilled r Ian McKellen uses to say “mordor” in the films is correct? [[Gorlab] Yes, it is standard, although you don’t have to get excited like Charro on the Love Boat… [Brandalf85] Hello in elvish is “vendui” [Brandalf85] well that is “Greetings” [Guest1] oh thanks [Gorlab] ABSOLUTELY!!! One of Ian McKellan’s great pronunciations… [liam] Yes, McKellen gets that dead to rights. [Annatar] Tolkien said that he believed that Italian Vowels were the closest to Quenya [Eressea] Who’s excited? [2[Guest1] how do you prononce it? [Brandalf85] Ven Doo [Gorlab] Or, “Aiya!” which means “hail!” or “Greetings!” [Annatar] The Sindarin Y however seems to be Welsh [Guest1] cool [Brandalf85] yes Gor [Salquendor] annatar, i dont know much italian, but they are close to spanish short vowels correct? [[Brandalf85] Mckellen got Gandalfs voice from Tolkiens [Indil] It cstainly sounds more impressive that way 🙂 [liam] the Sindarin Y is like German u-umlat. [Brandalf85] i have some of tolkien reading on tape [[Gorlab] Also, the fomal greeting is “Elen Sila Lumenn Omentielvo” [Elaran] vendu? would we not see something from the roots _suilanna_ or _suila_? [Guest1] is namarie goodbye? [Brandalf85] yes guest [liam] Say “ee” and then round your lips like you would for saying “o”. [Brandalf85] actually its “Farewell” [Annatar] Since Sindarin was modelled on Welsh to a certain degree, this makes sense [Gorlab] Namarie is indeed “Good-bye” [Gorlab] from Na, meaning “is” [Brandalf85] i have a website that gives like a whole list of elvish phrases [Guest1] whats how are you? [Gorlab] and “marie” meaning “it is good” [Elaran] and Navaer is the deduced sindarin counterpart [Gorlab] correct [hobbit] namarie means be in good health, if i am correct [Brandalf85] http://www.grey-company.org/Circle/language/phrase.htm [Brandalf85] there [Elaran] gah no! [Brandalf85] for elvish phrases [Gorlab] “be good” would be a possible literal translation for “Namarie” [Eressea] I was under the impression that Grey Company Elvish was fan-devised. [Annatar] okay, back to vowels [Gorlab] I’m sure there are others… [Annatar] AE and AI are very close [Elaran] it is Eressea, its devised out of both Sindarin and Quenya for roleplaying purposes [Elaran] hence my personal distaste for it [Figgy] how is Eressea pronounced? [Brandalf85] Eres Say [Brandalf85] i believe [[Eressea] Er – ess – ay – ah [Brandalf85] or not [Figgy] ah [Figgy] good [Eressea] It’s spelled Eressëa with the funny accent on the third ‘e’. [Elaran] diaresis 😉 [[Annatar] A is the “father” A, I is the sound in “meet” together you get “I” the english pronoun [Gorlab] With the accent on the “ay” sound… [Figgy] I’ve been saying it right then [Eressea] Or as Eresseä if you’re not talking about the island, but the word. [Gorlab] a diaresis is used to 1: [Gorlab] Clarify seperate pronunciation of vowels [Gorlab] 2. for a final “e” [Annatar] E is the A of “lady” [Figgy] I see [Gorlab] or 3 for vowel combinations. [Eressea] Diaresis is the two-dots thing? [Annatar] like Spanish Italian etc. [Gorlab] two dots thingy, yup! [Annatar] two dots, two sounds [GuestLastar] oh. what is the pronounciation difference between ë and e [Gorlab] “au” os pronounced as in “cow” [Gorlab] Try pronouncing the God “Aule” [Eressea] GuestLastar, iirc “ë” tends to take on the “ay” sound. [GuestLastar] thnx [Indil] Like “owly? [Brandalf85] lol [Annatar] We used to call the “dotted” E “Feanorian” it jest means to separate thevowles [Brandalf85] i always pronounced Aule like “oo lee” [Gorlab] Ow-leh [Brandalf85] for some reason [Gorlab] “eu” is pronounced like the name of the Peter Gabriel album “so” [CloakedGuest thinks of the word lenguëta in Spanish as an example of how diaresis changes sound similar to what Eressea says [Eressea] I was doing “Oh – lay” but I suppose, given “S ow – ron”, it should be ow-leh… [Annatar] diaresis is used the same way that is is in [[Mo] would eu be like the french word for water then? [Annatar] French E.G. “noel” [Annatar] yes [Gorlab] Sow-rahn, as in “cow-rahn”, Dark Lord of Cattle… [Eressea] lolol [Maeglin_Lomion] 🙂 Gorlab [Gorlab] “iu” is pronounced like “yoo” [Annatar] in lieu of [Annatar] for example [Gorlab] and, the skate-punk’s fave: “oi” is pronounced as in “toy” [Dsthenes] heh [GuestLastar] umm… is there a between in meaning betwen, for example, faire and fairë becuz of the ë? [GuestLastar] *difference [Annatar] not to my knowlege [Gorlab] final “e” always recieves the diaresis… [Gorlab] it really just means that it is always pronounced seperately [Gorlab] in fact, you almost don’t need it… [Annatar] speaking of stress . . . [Annatar] Who here knows how it works? [Gorlab] Which sylablle gets the “oomph”? [Mo] is it the middle syllable? [Elaran] I do [Elaran] though it is somewhat complex [Maeglin_Lomion] 2nd out of 4th, if 4 syllables? [Indil] In Welsh it would be the middle… [Gorlab] Well, what if you only have on sylablle? [Eressea] Elvish is inflexive, is it not? [Elaran] then it falls on the one 😉 [Annatar] basically, if there are more than one syllable, the 2nd or 3rd to last gets it [Gorlab] Two syllables will ALWAYS be on the first syllable as well… [Figgy] we got lots of training on stressed syllables in school [Gorlab] EXCEPT for… [Gorlab] one word: “Ava” [Gorlab] it means “Don’t!” [Eressea] Ava, as in Avatar? [Indil] or Avari, the refusers? [Annatar] different language [Gorlab] In Elvish, Avatar would be “Don’t King” [Annatar] yes [Gorlab] Avari! Yes! [Annatar] no [Annatar] lol [Eressea] Perhapts it’s Av-atar, rather than ava-tar, then.. [Maeglin_Lomion] Haldir always seems to be pronounced Hal-DEER. Would that be an exception, or is everyone pronouncing it wrong? [Elaran] it should be on the first [Annatar] I think it’s a mistake, and it’s also why he seems a little annoyed [Indil] lol! [Elaran] the only time I can think of where one _might_ place it finally would be if the word incorporated a circumflex (possibly to mark it as irregular stress) [Eressea] So how does one pronounce “Ancalagoth” in terms of stress? [Annatar] AnCALagoth [Annatar] not AncalAgoth [Gorlab] Well, here’s where our idea of long and short vowels comes in handy… [Annatar] and single and double consonants [[Eressea] So like Caribbean, then. 🙂 [Gorlab] If a word has 3 or more sylablles… [Gorlab] many are stressed on the second-to-last sylablle… [Gorlab] BUT [Indil] so, MinDOLluin? Instead of MINdolluin? [Gorlab] if this syllable is SHORT [Annatar] if the 2nd to last Syllable has a “short” vowel or is separated from the last one by a single consonant, then it’s too “weak to get the stress [Gorlab] (Sure Oh cloaked one) [Gorlab] A short syllable is one that [Annatar] in which case stress moves to the 3rd to last syllable [CloakedGuest] (thank you Gorlab) [Gorlab] 1. Contains no long vowel and [Gorlab] 2 is followed by only one consonant or no consonant at all [Annatar] in technical terms the 3rd to last syllable is the “antepenultimate” [Gorlab] If this sylablle is SHORT [Gorlab] then the 3rd-to-last sylablle gets the stress… [Eressea] What a word, “antepenultimate”… [Elaran] lol tis better than antidisestablishmentarianism 😉 [Eressea] Ante-pen-ultimate… that would be before-almost-last, yes? [Eressea] Hence, third-last. [Maeglin_Lomion] An example of this? I’m confuzzled…… [Gorlab] Annatar – an example? [Annatar] ThangorOdrim [Gorlab] As opposed to.. [Gorlab] ThangORodrim… [Annatar] DR is bigger separation than G [Eressea] Then GonDOlin over GONdolin? [ohtar_i_anar] is there any stress? [CloakedGuest] In fact, I’ve been saying GondoLIN. [CloakedGuest] 🙂 [ohtar_i_anar] there is no mark [Annatar] no, ND vs. L [Maeglin_Lomion] So have I. 🙂 [Indil] So Mindolluin, above, should really be MidolLUIN? [Annatar] LL [Indil] *MindolLUIN [Annatar] MindOLLuin [Indil] oh dear. This is very confusing :-0 [ohtar_i_anar] actually, when I say it, I find myself saying gonDOlin [Annatar] not the boat [ohtar_i_anar] I know [Gorlab] This completes my time here in the Hall, thanks for listening…be here next week for more – Annatar might stay a bit… [Annatar] or, rather like GONDola instead of gondOla [Eressea] Thanks, Gorlab. 🙂 [Indil] Thank you gorlab. This has been very helpful! [Maeglin_Lomion] Thanks, Gorlab. [Annatar] follow the consonants, and when they don’s help. look for accents [Mo] Thank you Gorlab – cant’ be here usually bacause of work, but i appreciate it [Pippin] ok, so what form of Elvish are we learning exactly? [furryfootses] where can i get all the info that i missed since these lessons started [[furryfootses] sindar, quenya, etc.? [Eressea] On the site, furryfootses, I believe there are logs… [Annatar] The chat as a whole will try to cover Quenya and Sindarin [Pippin] ok, cool 🙂 [Annatar] However, they overlap considerably [Pippin is learning Quenya, but it kinda confuses her as the lesson planner uses big words [furryfootses] thanks, eressea and annatar [Annatar] if anyone has any germaine questions please ask, otherwise, my fingers hurt [Legolas17] how is ll pronounced, as in ‘mellon’? [Pippin] like a normal l [Pippin] not like spanish [Mo] Do you know any examples for long and short E? i’m not familiar with more european styles Gorlab has quit IRC (Quit: Leaving) [Legolas17] i read somewhere that it was pronounced like a harsh h in the back of the throat [Annatar] thank you every one I’ll see y’all later [Pippin] somewhere must have been referring to Gandalf’s pronunciation of the word in the Bakshi edition of LOTR [Indil] Thank you so much Annatar! [Maeglin_Lomion] Thank you, Annatar. [Eressea] Thank you, Annatar. 🙂 [Legolas17] thanks Annatar [Dsthenes] thanks, Annatar. 🙂 [Mo] Thank you Annatar [GuestLastar] thnx annatar [Pippin] thank you Annatar
If you are thinking about ordering tickets to the London Science Museum Lord of the Rings Exhibition, but have some unanswered questions, fear no more! Ringer Spy Isadora spent some time talking to the people from the Museum, and here’s what she found out!
I just talked to the press office of the Science Museum in London in order to check out and clarify a number of details regarding the upcoming LOTR-exhibition in London. Thought you might be interested, so here we go:
Booking Hotline: Open seven days a week from 08.30 h to 18.00 h (local time). Due to massive demand during the first few days, lines will be open this week until 21.00 h.
During the first few days it will take you a lot of patience to get through in the first place (it took me several hours to succeed). Once you make it through, you will be asked to press “0” on your phone in order to book tickets for the exhibition. Once you have done that, be prepared to wait some more in the queue (another 20 min in my case).
The press office strongly advises to wait a few days before calling the booking lines to allow the initial demand to subside a little. This of course making it easier for people to get through and make their reservations.
Please have paper and pencil ready as you will be requested to write down the booking reference number for your tickets. Also please keep your credit or debit card ready at hand.
Booking process: During the booking process you will be asked for the date and time at which you will like to see the exhibition. You will also be asked for your name and postal code, and then you will be asked to give your credit card number and the validity date. Once reservation has been confirmed you will be asked to write down the booking reference number.
Booking price includes ticket price as well as booking fee.
Tickets will NOT be send to you. You will be asked to give your booking reference number at the entrance the day you wish to visit the exhibition in order to collect your tickets.
Tickets are timed tickets. If, for example, you asked for a ticked for 11.00 hours, you need to be there by 10.30. Please take into consideration that you very likely will have to queue at the entrance as well as the ticket booth, where you collect your tickets.
Booking in advance: The Science Museum accepts bookings up to January that means you will already be able to book tickets for the entire run of the exhibition.
Max. number of tickets? There is no limit as far as the number of tickets is concerned you would like to buy.
Exhibition catalogue? Sorry, there will be NO exhibition catalogue for the LOTR-Exhibition. However, you will be able to have your picture taken on Gandalf cart and take it home with you.
Can I bring my camera? NO. No cameras, bags and mobiles will be allowed in the exhibition.
How much time do I have to look around once I am inside the exhibition? There is no time limit. Press office suggests that you reserve about 1,5 hours for the entire exhibition.
Apart from the telephone hotlines will there be a chance to book tickets online? According to press office they are working on that one, right now they are dealing with a few technical problems, but hope to come up with an online booking option some time soon.
Methods of payment: Credit and debit cards are accepted, no DINER and VISA ELECTRON.
Demand for the tickets is HUGE! Is there a danger of the exhibition being sold out? NO. Press office would like people to know that there will be enough tickets at hand regardless of the massive response they have experienced throughout the past few days.
Lord of the Rings star Miranda Otto is on the brink of international stardom, but that hasn’t stopped her putting love and her personal life ahead of her career.
After the break-up of her last serious relationship, The Lord of the Rings star Miranda Otto vowed she’d never go out with an actor again. They can be too high maintenance, too insecure and, sometimes, far, far too competitive. Yet, five months after tripping down the aisle with fellow actor Peter O’Brien following a whirlwind romance, she can only shrug and laugh ruefully. “Rules,” she happily exclaims, “are there to be broken!”
“Marriage? It’s just great!” she says now, talking publicly about her relationship for the first time. “It feels so nice to have made that commitment to somebody and to be able to move on with the rest of your life. It’s a great feeling that you’ve formed a partnership and are always ready to work through things together.”
The love affair smoldered in a slow start for the chameleon-like star of Australian films such as Love Serenade (1996), Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997) and Dead Letter Office (1998), who has gone on in the past few years to forge a successful international career, topped by winning the strongest female lead in the second and third films of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Working opposite 2003 Silver Logie award-winner Peter, one of the stars of Network Ten’s hit series White Collar Blue, in the successful Sydney stage production of A Doll’s House last year, she found herself attracted to him. Yet she had determined to never again go out with an actor after the end of her long-term liaison with fellow thespian Richard Roxburgh.
On the day the play closed, April 28 last year, Peter, 43, asked Miranda, 35, out. “I hadn’t even known if he liked me!” says Miranda, smiling softly at the memory. “I didn’t want to get involved with someone I was working with, as it can spoil the dynamic on stage, and I’d said I’d never go out with another actor. I did like him, but I had no idea he felt the same way.” “Yet if you meet the right person, it’s really very easy. From the beginning, we discovered we had so much in common. We feel the same way about things, and we like many of the same things. We were also both at a stage in our lives where we weren’t going to say, ‘I’d better keep shopping around. I might be missing out on someone else’.”
“ We were both ready to commit to somebody, but it did feel frightening. I’d been on my own for two years and it had been fantastic. I’d gotten to the point where I thought I’d never have another relationship. But then Pete came along…”
An engagement soon followed and, just eight months after their first date, on New Year’s Day this year, they walked down the aisle of Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral.
Even as her own career soars, with the much-anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, due to be released this December, and her latest movie, the new Australian comedy Danny Deckchair – in which she plays the stunning romantic heroine – on July 31, she’s reached the stage of thinking about starting a family.
“It’s something I want to do, but it’s a little scary” she confides “Having lived so much of my life by myself, it’s something I will do, definitely, but it’s such a big thing, it’s long-term. Being older, I think about it now and imagine finding it hard to keep up by the time they’re teenagers. But then I know nothing can really prepare you for it”.
Miranda gazes thoughtfully at the salt cellar on the table of the café we’re at in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, not far from the home she shares with Peter. A slight, waif-like figure in blue jeans and dark T-shirt, with a cascade of strawberry blonde curls, she’s just devoured a huge mid-morning plate of scrambled eggs and toast. She doesn’t usually eat this much, she explains apologetically, but she’s due at the gym soon and felt she had to prepare for the endurance test ahead.
Although filming of the three The Lord of the Rings epics in New Zealand finished some time ago, she is about to fly back over the Tasman to re-shoot some scenes. It means that a self-confessed physically lazy person such as Miranda, who hasn’t so much as looked at a dumbbell since the first shoot, is thrown straight back into a heavy gym regimen in order to match her previous physique. With her character, Eowyn, involved in so much swordplay – “It’s wonderful for releasing aggression, particularly since I have such a bad temper!” she purrs sweetly – that training is vital.
“But it is a bit of a shock to the body” she adds, sighing. “When I was in New Zealand for the six months of shooting, I did something everyday, so I got really fit. Now I’m trying to regain that, but it’s a year since I’ve even been for a run.”
Yet it’s precisely that kind of challenge on which Miranda thrives. She’s never gone for the easy options.
Growing up almost in the theatre as the daughter of award-winning actor Barry Otto and former radio and theatre actor Lindsay, she would have known the life of an actor wasn’t a comfortable one. “But I think it was in her blood,” says her dad, who worked opposite her for the first time in Dead Letter Office. “She was exposed to so much of it at an early age, it was easy to get the bug. Yet she kept it a secret from me for a long time that she wanted to act, although I’d never have tried to talk her out of it. Now I’ve seen her develop wonderfully as an actress into such a beautiful, charismatic figure, I see she has so much going for her.”
When her parents separated after seven years of marriage, Miranda went to live with her mother in Newcastle, and spent her time after school devising little plays with the children of other actors in their circle, such as Lucy, the daughter of John Bell of the Bell Shakespeare Company. At 16, in her HSC year, she took her first starring role in the movie Emma’s War, as the daughter of an alcoholic played by Lee Remick. She never looked back, attending the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, then winning role after role in film, television and on stage.
She has often been her own toughest critic, however. “I was looking at an old tape the other day of something I must have done 10 to 15 years ago, and all I could think was, ‘Thank goodness I went to NIDA after that!’” she says, laughing. “I had no idea what I was doing – and it showed. But I’ve never regretted any of my roles. Even if the work was bad, I might have met amazing people or been to an interesting place. You learn something from every single experience.”
After roles in so many Australian movies, including The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992), The Notradamus Kid (1993), True Love and Chaos (1997), The Well (1997) and In the Winter Dark (1998), in which she played opposite former beau Richard, she spread her wings overseas. She was John Cusack’s wife in the western The Jack Bull (1999), she did the thriller What Lies Beneath (2000) with Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, there was Human Nature (2001) with Tim Robbins, Patricia Arquette and Rhys Ifans, and a diamond commercial kissing Brad Pitt.
In among them were a few more eccentric choices. She went to Nambia for the drama Kin (2000) and to Italy for The Three-legged Fox (2001). She didn’t realise the film was to be in Italian, since her script was in English. In the end, she learned a smattering of Italian, then worked on the film, amazed by the degree of chaos on a Naples film set. “We’d been talking about the film for two years, but it wasn’t until much later that I learned they’d translated it all for my benefit, and even I would be speaking in Italian.” She says.
The Human Nature role came up after she narrowly lost out to Cameron Diaz for a lead in Being John Malkovich, and there she became good friends with Rhys Ifans, the Welsh scene-stealer Spike in Notting Hill. Last year, he was cast as the lead in Danny Deckchair and asked the producers to consider Miranda for the part of his love interest. At first, she refused. She’d been working for two and a half years and desperately need some time out.
Eventually, however, she agreed, both because she’d enjoyed working with Rhys, and because she loved the story of Danny the dreamer, who escapes his humdrum life by floating off on a garden chair tied to helium balloons.
Miranda plays Glenda, a tough, country-town parking inspector, whose garden Danny crashes into. While staying with her, he manages to reinvent himself into the local hero, while bringing out a side in Glenda no one realised existed, as she is transformed into a bewitching woman.
Producer Andrew Mason says Miranda was perfect for the role. “I think you should cast as the female lead someone you could be in love with yourself,” he says. “Everyone ended this film in love with Miranda. And she’s got such a great laugh, the kind that makes you know there’s something amazing, wicked fun happening that you really want to be part of.”
The role is perhaps another unconventional move for a woman on the brink of international stardom, but it’s this kind of endlessly varied, unpredictable, restless career that Miranda has always craves. She doesn’t particularly like the limelight or the glamour of fame, preferring to chose unusual projects, a heady mix of film, TV and theatre, or parts that she feels sure will challenge her.
She has just returned from a three week trip to the US, where she looked at scripts, but didn’t like most of them. “I find it difficult to find stuff I like in the States, and I can’t do it if I’m not interested in it.” She explains. “But I don’t get so many offers from there. I don’t seem to have that hard edge that a lot of women’s roles there have. I’m not really into that whole star stuff, either. That’s a very strange world full of dietitians, and you have very little control over your own life. I want the kind of career where you work in different places, and do small things, then occasionally big films, then some theatre. That’s the kind of career I have, and I’m happy with it.”
Also somewhere in the mix is Miranda’s resolve not to do anything that would separate her and her new husband for too long. Planning a trip to London together, where they could both work for a few months, they have agreed only to accept work on their own terms when they return.
“Being in a partnership changes you,” Miranda says. “You realise it isn’t worth going away unless something’s really good. There’s no point in being apart just to earn more money or to travel. I only want to do something if we both feel it’s worthwhile, and it works within our marriage.”
Miranda smiles, “I love good work, but my life is very important as well.”
Here we go, some more information on what looks to be one of the most interesting Lord of the Rings-related happenings to hit Europe since Ring*Con last year.
Due to huge expected demand, advance tickets for The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – The Exhibition, a unique visitor experience based on the famous films, have gone on sale.
Call the booking hotline on 0870 870 4868. The lines are expected to be very busy so please be patient.
The family exhibition opens at the Science Museum in London on 16 September 2003, before the eagerly awaited final instalment of the film trilogy and will be the only chance for European fans to explore for themselves the fantastic world created for The Lord of the Rings films.
Hundreds of artefacts from the movies including models, armoury and animatronics will feature alongside interactive computer and mechanical demonstrations of the cutting-edge technology used to bring the story to life.
The fascinating exhibition includes:
Ø Demonstrations of special effects, including the combining of ‘real’ and ‘digital’ action and CGI (computer-generated-image technology)
Ø A scaling interactive allowing visitors to become Hobbit sized in a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring – and then buy a print of themselves
Ø A display on prosthetics including Hobbit feet, Orc teeth and the contact lenses used to give the Orcs their unique look
Ø Giant models including Hobbiton Mill, Treebeard and a cave troll
Ø An ‘armour corridor’ featuring weapons belonging to Arwen, Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn
Ø Outfits including Arwen’s riding costume, Galadriel’s stunning dress, and Gandalf’s robes
Visitors will be transported into the world of Middle-earth where they will be met by Frodo and his Hobbit companions, the wizards, the Black Riders, the cultures of Middle-earth and the fearsome warriors – all in the authentic costumes created for the films.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – The Exhibition will enable visitors to experience first hand some of the awe-inspiring special effects used to make the blockbuster films.
Head of the Science Museum, Jon Tucker, said: “This excellent exhibition provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at the science and technology which made the film trilogy possible – from the computer generated special effects to the development of the complex animatronics that created such stunning results.”
The exhibition culminates with a face-to-face encounter with the central icon from the films – the One Ring itself.
· The Science Museum will be running a series of adult and family events during the autumn half term and Christmas holidays investigating traditional and state-of-the-art filmmaking techniques.
Well, anything that can make me look Hobbit-sized oughta be good! People who plan on calling from outside the UK would do wise to add +44 (England’s countrycode) to the phonenumber listed above, otherwise it probably won’t work.
MIAMI-Pianists everywhere can now explore the spirit and grandeur of the blockbuster hit The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, thanks to a matching songbook to the hit movie, recently released by Warner Bros. Publications.
The beautifully illustrated book captures the enchanting musical spirit behind this second film in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Like its predecessor, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this second installment in the film trilogy features the soaring and powerful music of Howard Shore. A Canadian-born composer, Shore won an Academy Award for The Fellowship of the Ring, and his genius is equally evident in the music for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Arranged for piano/vocal/chords, the Warner Bros. Publications book makes Shore’s music in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers readily accessible to students and performers of various experience levels. The book treats us to a delightful array of memorable songs from the film, including the hauntingly beautiful “Evenstar,” “Isengard Unleashed,” featuring Elizabeth Fraser and Ben Del Maestro, and “Gollum’s Song,” performed by Emiliana Torrini, as well as “Breath of Life,” “Rohan,” and “Forth Eorlingas.”
Printed on exquisite velvet crème paper stock, giving the book an antique tone throughout, the book includes 10 pages of dramatic color photos from the movie. The richly illustrated front and back covers also depict images that will be familiar to all fans of the film. Die-hard Lord of the Rings fans will love that the book features the Elvish lyrics to several songs.
“We expect this book to become a collector’s item,” said Jeannette Delisa, pop product line manager for Warner Bros. Publications. “The Lord of the Rings trilogy has left an indelible impression on many people from all walks of life. Fans will value this book as a keepsake.”
The Two Towers is the second Lord of the Rings songbook offered by Warner Bros. Publications (WBP). Fans of the film will want to build their Lord of the Rings print music collection by adding The Fellowship of the Ring collector’s songbook, produced by WBP. The company is also planning a keepsake collection from the forthcoming film, Return of the King.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers companion songbook has a suggested retail price of $14.95, and makes a great collector’s item in time for the DVD and VHS release of the movie from New Line Home Video on August 26, 2003.
ComicCon 2003, July 17-20, is swiftly approaching! The day 1 schedule is now online, with days 2-4 to be posted shortly. Your friends at TheOneRing.net will not only have a booth, but will also present a panel discussion on all-things Tolkien.
4:30-5:30 TheOneRing.net: Lord of the Rings- TheOneRing®.net-Earth’s largest Tolkien website-presents a panel of “Tolkien experts” to answer all your burning questions. Topics will range from The Professor himself, The Lord of the Rings and other works both in and out of Middle-earth to Tolkien fandom over the decades and how LotR/JRRT is affecting life today on the Internet, in cultures across the globe, and of course, in the movies. Presenters will include four TORn staff, including Quickbeam and Ostadan, two contributing authors of The People’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien. If you miss the panel but want to get some TORn this weekend, visit their booth in the Exhibit Hall. Room 6A.
