LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Britain”s Queen Elizabeth will not attend the country”s first Holocaust Memorial Day this weekend, further fuelling the debate over who should or should not attend the highly controversial event.
Buckingham Palace said on Thursday the Queen had turned down the invitation to Saturday”s memorial in London and would not interrupt an extended Christmas break. A palace source added that the monarch”s diary was planned months in advance, but that her son and heir to the throne Prince Charles would take time off from his private engagements in order to attend.
…Despite the debate, Prime Minister Tony Blair will lead politicians, church leaders and charity workers at the ceremony, which will be broadcast live on television and radio. Also attending will be Britain”s Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, actor Ian McKellen and rock star Bob Geldof.
From: StocDred I found a LOTR article that you might not have access to… it’s in a great monthly magazine called Kidscreen. Kidscreen focuses on “reaching children through entertainment,” and always features articles/news about kids broadcasting, software, movies, toys, properties and other products. It’s not available at newstands; I get the magazine because I work for a FOX TV affiliate. In the January 2001 issue, they have a multi-page article about the upcoming merchandising for the LOTR movies (and Star Wars, incidentally). Although there isn’t a great deal of specifics, here’s some tidbits I pulled out:- nice list of signed licensees; some of which I knew about, some I didn’t (Toy Biz, EA, Topps, Decipher, Playmates, Applause)- the three films will all be PG-13, but much of the merchandise is aimed at kids 7 and up- DVD/video release will be 6 months after the movie opens- action figures could be in stores as early as July; most merch will be out a month before movie opensI’ve attached scans of the complete article so you can see for yourself.
Somebody wrote recently to complain that ‘all the reporters ever talk about in relation to LOTR is the money.’
Articles like the following, from digitrends.net make me sympathise with him. According to this we’re all ‘Consumers’ and things like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ are just ‘Properties.’ (I’m still not sure if that’s more or less insulting than referring to books and music etc as ‘Product’) .
“RealNetworks Helps Launch Tolkein Film [sic]
“New Line Cinema’s “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy is one of the most greatly anticipated film series of the new millennium. The studio is shooting all three installments concurrently and will release one a year through 2003. And with a little less than a year before the first film hits theaters, the marketing push is already underway. New Line and RealNetworks have formed a four-year partnership to jointly promote the movies. The two companies will create and promote the Lord of the Rings RealChannel as the exclusive online source for all material from the making of the three films. Through the month of January, the Lord of the Rings trailer will be available only via the RealPlayer and the Lord of the Rings RealChannel.
“The Lord of the Rings RealChannel will set a promotional benchmark that is unparalleled and marks the most significant entertainment Internet promotion to date,” says Gordon Paddison, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing and Business Development, New Line Cinema. “In addition to establishing an ongoing relationship with the broad fan base for the Trilogy, this promotion with RealNetworks is in line with our strategic marketing objectives to expand our Internet marketing reach to include hundreds of millions of consumers who currently may not have any exposure to the property.”
Liv Tyler (Arwen) Armageddon Sky Premier Widescreen UK Christopher Lee (Saruman) Talos the Mummy Sky MovieMax 4 UK
Monday, January 22
Christopher Lee (Saruman) Dracula Has Risen From The Grave Sky Cinema 1 UK Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) A Walk on the Moon TMN
Tuesday, January 23
Ian Holm (Bilbo) Night Falls On Manhattan Channel 4 UK & Alien Network 2 UK Ian McKellen (Gandalf) X-Men TVND18 John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) Among Giants Sky Premier Widescreen UK Sean Astin (Sam) Bulworth Sky Premier 4 UK Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) Bride of Chucky Sky MovieMax 4 UK
Wednesday, January 24
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) Psycho Sky Premier Widescreen UK & Two Small Bodies SUNDAEP The Young Americans ENCACT Ian Holm (Bilbo) Naked Lunch Sky Cinema 1 UK Sean Bean (Bilbo) Ronin TMC Ian McKellen (Gandalf) Gods and Monsters SUNDAE Sean Astin (Sam) Dish Dogs WLNY 55 Christopher Lee (Saruman) Talos the Mummy Sky MovieMax 4 UK & The Hound of The Baskervilles Channel 5 UK & Private’s Progress SHOWDT Bernard Hill (Theoden) True Crime HBOLAT & William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream HBOSIG Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) Urban Legend TMC & Death Machine KTXH & Amos & Andrew TMC2P John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) Canvas TMN
Thursday, January 25
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) The Thin Red Line MAX Liv Tyler (Arwen) Can’t Hardly Wait WAPA & Inventing the Abbotts KRRT & Heavy SUNDAE Ian Holm (Bilbo) eXistenZ TMC & Naked Lunch UK Hugo Weaving (Elrond) The Matrix ACMAX Miranda Otto (Eowyn) The Thin Red Line MAX Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) An Ideal Husband STARZ5 & Oscar and Lucinda FMC Ian McKellen (Gandalf) Apt Pupil Sky Premier 2 UK & Amy Foster Sky Premier 2 UK Orlando Bloom (Legolas) Wilde SHOW3 Bruce Spence (Mouth of Sauron) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome WFVT Sean Astin (Sam) Icebreaker ACMAX & Toy Soldiers THMAX Christoher Lee (Saruman) Sleepy Hollow SHOW & The Last Unicorn STARZ4 & Julius Caesar KSTC Bernard Hill (Theoden) Mountains of the Moon TRUE Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) Hidden Agenda TMC2 Bride of Chucky TMN
Friday, January 26
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) The Passion of Darkly Noon SHOW2 & Floundering COMEDY Ian Holm (Bilbo) Henry V IFC & Shout at the Devil FLIX Hugo Weaving (Elrond) Bedrooms & Hallways HBOZ Elijah Wood (Frodo) The Good Son FX Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) Elizabeth SHOW3 Ian McKellen (Gandalf) Restoration ENCORE Sean Astin (Sam) Staying Together TNTI Christopher Lee (Saruman) Safari 3000 SHOWX Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) The Exorcist III FMC & Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones TRUE
Satday, January 27
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) Albino Alligator STARZ5 & Young Guns II WKCF & Witness MAXS Liv Tyler (Arwen) Stealing Beauty WE Ian Holm (Biblo) Alien TVYou UK Miranda Otto (Eowyn) The Jack Bull Sky Premier 2 UK Elijah Wood (Frodo) Avalon STARZ Ian McKellen (Gandalf) Alfred the Great TCM UK John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) Cyborg Cop KCOP & Firewalker TBS & King Solomon’s Mines WZUP Sean Astin (Sam) Courage Under Fire WABC 7 & Teresa’s Tattoo KMAX & Rudy TNT & Encino Man WVFX Christopher Lee (Saruman) Gremlins 2: The New Batch TNTL & Captain Horatio Hornblower KTRV Scott of the Antarctic HCI Bernard Hill (Theoden) The Ghost and the Darkness WNBC 4 Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) Bride of Chucky Sky MovieMax 1 UK & Body Parts HBOPL & Child’s Play 3 SCIFI
Much as we’ve enjoyed the spoof trailers that people have sent in, there’s no denying that the bulk of our mail has been concerned with the trailer that’s appeared on the official site in Realplayer. Most people disliked the small videoclip interviews in Realplayer which we were treated to when the official site revamped, but that’s nothing compared to the venom that’s been reserved for the decision to put the trailer onto Realplayer.
I’m just saying that for the benefit of anyone like myself that thought they might have been suffering from a dodgy connection or some embarrassing mysterious personal problem to do with their own computer. Rest assured, it’s not you. The trailer in Realplayer format looks bad for most people – a jerky, low-resolution image and horrible sound.
This has stirred people up into problem-solving mode and by now there are a whole lot of different attempts to download the trailer and convert it into different formats. Some have succeeded, some have succeeded and been forced by the long arm of the law to remove their efforts, and some don’t work or got overwhelmed with people trying to download them. Interesting times on the Net indeed. Don’t all email us to ask ‘where are these trailers?’ because I’m too lazy to sort through that much mail. There’s a lot of pointers on the message-board that’ll take you in the right direction.
Now, why has this thing happened? Here’s an answer from Value Ape: (Note some language may offend, but it’s nothing to what we’ve heard describing Realplayer in general.)
“Just thought I would send you this email about the sordid side of why companies choose to use what technologies to serve video. I always see a lot of people bitching about what technology gets used, especially in regards to QuickTime – the whole LOTR trailer thing is the final coffin nail, so I thought I would expose this. Not only am I in the business but I do have some specific knowledge of the reason why LOTR is using RealMedia and not QuickTime. Let me just say that QuickTime is a superior format in every way to Real, however Real has been a much more aggressive company than Apple in pushing the technology. I, like Harry, have been a sober evangelist of QuickTime for quite some time and think people should know what goes on behind the scenes. Apple wants everyone to have QuickTime so you use and buy the software that makes QuickTime media. Real wants to milk eyeballs for ad clicks and trick you into buying the plus player. If you have ever tried to download the free player from their site you will laugh at how hidden the link to the ‘free’ player is in the interface. Like many reprehensible practices, it is effective. It also frustrates websites that use it. Imagine promoting your movie and when the player launches, you see an ad for another movie opening the same night on the side-bar!
Unfortunately, New Line’s arrangement with Real is completely typical and not exceptional in any way other than the popularity of LOTR. The number of downloads garnered by the teaser at Apple had Real drooling. Real agreed to pay New Line in cash, services and bandwidth to host the new trailer. Apple, who has been very cautious about spending money lately, has always been reluctant to pay companies to use QuickTime when they felt that companies would naturally choose to use the better technology. Real hopes to spread its player and its channels around by having the new trailer – and New Line gets a little coin. Your typical day in the media industry.”
Thanks for that.
There is another side to consider: we’ve all acted as though we had the right to demand this teaser trailer at high quality because we the fans want it. I’m not sure that’s in the best interests of the film company, who after all wants you to be disappointed with the net version of the trailer so you’ll go to the cinema. I find that hard to blame. I mean, I was annoyed with the cruddiness of the trailer on Real (and suffered from an ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ moment wondering if it was just me) but by now I can see that the filmmakers aren’t so sure they’re going to benefit by doing what pleases us.
I’m also aware (who better?) of how it’s possible to become so saturated with Tolkien images that the thought of going and seeing the movies loses its appeal. The availability of information for ‘Phantom Menace’ posed that very danger. It started by whetting the appetite and ended by overwhelming it by the time I’d got into the cinema. Funny thing for us on this website to be arguing, but there you are, I’m not going to back down from telling it the way I see it.
If all I see of the LOTR films before they open are crummy grainy videos like this then the film company will have achieved something they’re entitled to aim for – I’ll be ready to crawl across broken glass to see them on the big screen.
The Lord of the Rings Fans Experience an iPIX 360-Degree, Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Making of the Films
New Line Cinema is Latest Entertainment Power to Embrace iPIX(R) 360-Degree Dynamic Imaging to Promote Major Entertainment Events
If you’re one of the millions of fans chomping at the bit for J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy to come to the big screen, no need to wait until December. New Line Cinema is providing you a backstage pass on The Lord of the Rings Web site, http://lordoftherings.net; fans can now take an iPIX(R) Virtual Tour of The Fellowship of the Ring set, navigating their way through 360-degrees views of the production area. The iPIX images provide “Rings” enthusiasts a richer, more interactive Web experience. The Lord of the Rings Web site is one of many entertainment outlets showcasing iPIX dynamic imaging online. Major television stations, entertainment sites and sports networks, including ABC TV, MTV, ESPN, Comedy Central, 360hiphop and more, are additionally utilizing iPIX dynamic imaging on their Web sites to offer Internet users immersive, 360-degree content online.
Who: Internet Pictures Corporation (iPIX)
What: The Lord of the Rings Web site, http://lordoftherings.net, is using iPIX(R) dynamic images to enhance their Web site with 360-degree virtual tours. The tours allow the more than 41 million users that have already visited the site, to interactively explore Middle-earth, the land where the epic journeys of The Lord of the Rings take place. iPIX images are dynamic, meaning users interact with the image, using their mouse to zoom in on Middle-earth’s Hobbiton, the mythical Hobbit Homeland filmed in New Zealand.
Recently named the most popular book of the 20th century, more than 50 million people across the globe grew up reading The Lord of the Rings, the tale of a perilous quest to save humanity. The making of the trilogy marks the first time this mythical story will be brought to the cinema. The Lord of the Rings Web site, which was re-launched a week ago today, has generated phenomenal levels of traffic, including 41 million hits in a week and over one million hits an hour on the first morning it was re-launched. The content-rich site offers The Lord of the Rings fans the latest news, images and information about the upcoming action and adventure trilogy.
When: Immediately Where: http://lordoftherings.net (click on The Legend, the Explore the Epic) Why: iPIX(R) 360-degree dynamic images let viewers “step inside” the picture, just as if they were actually there. The images give the most comprehensive views available online, allowing the action to be paused so viewers may change their point of view and zoom in or out of the pictures for a wider perspective — something still photos and standard video do not allow. Utilizing immersive, 360-degree imaging, iPIX has recently covered the following worldwide events: Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention, the Academy Awards, the British Open, Burning Man and more.
LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Britain”s Queen Elizabeth will not attend the country”s first Holocaust Memorial Day this weekend, further fuelling the debate over who should or should not attend the highly controversial event.
Liv Tyler (Arwen) Armageddon Sky Premier Widescreen UK 
Christopher Lee (Saruman) Talos the Mummy Sky MovieMax 4 UK 
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) A Walk on the Moon TMN
Ian Holm (Bilbo) Night Falls On Manhattan Channel 4 UK 
Sean Astin (Sam) Bulworth Sky Premier 4 UK 
Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) Bride of Chucky Sky MovieMax 4 UK 
Sean Bean (Bilbo) Ronin TMC
Bernard Hill (Theoden) True Crime HBOLAT & William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream HBOSIG
Hugo Weaving (Elrond) The Matrix ACMAX 
Miranda Otto (Eowyn) The Thin Red Line MAX 
Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) An Ideal Husband STARZ5 & Oscar and Lucinda FMC
Orlando Bloom (Legolas) Wilde SHOW3
Bruce Spence (Mouth of Sauron) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome WFVT
Elijah Wood (Frodo) The Good Son FX