Take a look at these scans from the latest issue of Mad Magazine, goofing on LOTR.
Category: Old Special Reports
What’s happened to all the news? There’s been all this buildup, this fuss about the Oscars…and now what?
Well, what you see on the front page is not all of what is going on at TORN. We’re knee deep in a flurry of party-planning, a chaos of emails, last-minute plans to meet up, frantic directions on how to connect with each other. People are packing, sorting out what they’re wearing (and how to wear it, if it’s something unfamiliar!) and generally gearing up to leave for the Oscars party.
You see, most of us have never met in real life. Our Oscars party in Hollywood is the first time most of us will see each other. Even the four founding members of the site – well, Calisuri holds a record there, since he’s actually met both myself and Corvar. Xoanon has remained a complete mystery up until now. So we’re excited. Stoked! Revved up! Ready to party!
TORN staff have a certain amount of preparation to do for the party, decorating the club and setting up the registration tables, hanging up balloons etc. We’re still discussing whether the promised media presence makes it worth trying to do those things while wearing a tuxedo or worse, an Elven gown. I didn’t think being a geek entailed risky behaviour but we’ll see if anyone goes up a ladder wearing full costume.
By Sunday there will only be a skeleton staff manning TORN, keeping the news going and keeping the messageboards and chatrooms open. Given the concentrated geekpower at this party it’s likely that there’ll be enough laptops and people willing to use them at a party so we can keep contact in the chatroom at least. Live webcam doesn’t look likely, though I wouldn’t rule it out. TORN Digital is filming the event for later viewing.
We’ve just been notified about an exciting project being set up near Columbus, Ohio, called Baron’s Haven Freehold This should appeal to anyone interested in seeing history and fantasy come to life in a big way. Here’s their concept:
“We are preparing to build a full-sized representation of a 15th century Welsh concentric castle similar in style and grandeur to the enchanting castle Beaumaris in northern Wales. Adjacent to the castle will be a complete medieval town populated by artisans and townspeople reenacting aspects of medieval life in a Celtic border town. Authentic supporting economic and agricultural facilitieswill allow for fully sustainable and organic living.
“The facility will also feature aspects from great works of fantasy and folklore.
“There will be a high degree of accuracy in the depiction yet modern environmental, safety and health technologies will be disguised as part of the design. Surrounding the Town and Castle will be numerous smaller facilities such as monasteries, herb gardens, ruins, towers, battlefields, enchanted forests, campgrounds, wetlands, ponds and gardens. Several aspects of the operation are currently in development. These include some of the organic farming and the festival portion that would exist outside the walls of such a city in the middle ages, which is what a modern Renaissance Festival portrays.
“This is an Intentional Community based on the Eco-Village model, with a medieval theme. This is a comprehensive recreation of all aspects of life in the 15th century, while at the same time there is a separate area for fantasy and mythology for those that don’t mind the less accurate but still fun elements found in literature and film which many people associate with the period. This site will function as a film and media production facility, themed community, organic farm, living history site, theme park, campground, and an educational institution.”
Pretty interesting, huh? There’s more details on their website Baron’s Haven Freehold and you can also subscribe to a newsletter to get updates on how things are proceeding.
The cool folks at Cinefex Magazine have sent us an advanced copy of the latest cover, featuring Sam and the Cave Troll! Take a look:
Be sure to check out the comprehensive Lord of the Rings coverage in the upcoming Spring issue of Cinefex, due out on March 25. The 56-page cover article contains an authoritative account of the special effects behind this extraordinary film, following its development from conceptual phase through production and postproduction. Culled from some forty in-depth interviews with key contributors — including director Peter Jackson — the story features detailed information on production design, makeups, costumes, props, model and miniature work, plus the cutting-edge digital effects responsible for so many of the film’s memorable images. Accompanying the spread are more than sixty color photos ranging from behind-the-scenes shots to never-before-published effects clips. Cinefex can be found in major bookstores, on newsstands and is also available through the Cinefex website at www.cinefex.com.
Two LOTR fan trips will take place this Saturday, March 23. Members from Decipher’s Lord Of The Rings Fan Club have organized two outings to celebrate LOTR Oscar Nominations, meet TORN members and fellow party goers from the One Party To Rule Them All ! Fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to come!
Starting Saturday at 1:00pm join fans to see the Oscar Nominated Costumes of Lord Of The Rings at
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
919 South Grand Ave
(corner of ninth street)
Downtown Los Angeles
www.fidm.com for maps and info
This exhibit is free! There is street metered parking and a $3 parking garage on site.
Fellow organizer LadyOBloom says Sauron’s armor is worth the trip alone.
Then at approximately 3:00pm we will be at Track 16 Gallery to see
Viggo Mortensen’s Signlanguage Art and Photo Exhibit.
Track 16 Gallery
2525 Michigan ave Building C-1
(at the very end of the cul-de-sac)
Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.track16.com for more info
This exhibit is also free and parking is free, too. The show features many LOTR themed pieces and provides a wonderful insight into this beautiful film, and the filming process as experienced by the artist. Also Viggo’s autographed Signlanguage book is usually available at the gallery, if you are intersted in purchasing one Saturday , please respond to the Signlanguage Book post on the Main Board here at theonering.net, and I will try to give the gallery an idea how many to have available.
Times are approximate, based on one hour to go through the exhibits, time for picture taking, and travel between as well. If you go to only one show, be patient if we are late arriving, LA traffic can be unpredictable.
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Ringer Spy Ataahua sends along this article with a picture of Cate Blanchett and her new baby son Dashiell.