“When Manwë heard of the ways that Melkor had taken, it seemed plain to him that he purposed to escape to his old strongholds in the north of Middle-earth; and Oromë and Tulkas went with all speed northward, seeking to overtake him if they might, but they found no trace or rumour of him beyond the shores of the Teleri …” (The Silmarillion Chapter 8 — Of the Darkening of Valinor)
Having shown his true colours, Melkor has fled to parts unknown. Thinking Melkor hiding in Middle-earth, the powers appear to relax their guard when they throw a party. Stung at not having been invited, Melkor and his new ally Ungoliant gatecrash and proceed to trash the place. The Two Trees are destroyed, Finwe slain and the Silmarils taken.
Is this yet another instance of the Valar being inattentive and forgetful? Was Melkor’s attitude and plan obvious from his earlier confrontation with Feanor over the Silmarils, or did he simply go further than anyone could have thought possible?
And what of Melkor’s pact with Ungoliant? Why did Melkor believe he needed her assistance, and did Ungoliant accept his promise (lightly made as it was) too easily?
Who and what is Ungoliant? Why did Tolkien choose to make her a spider? Why could she not change form if she was a Maia? Or was she something else? And why was Melkor soon to lose his ability to change form at will?
These are just a few of the questions we’ll be discussing at Hall of Fire this weekend. So join us in #thehalloffire on Saturday April 9 as we continue our Silmarillion chats and discuss the Darkening of Valinor!
Asia-Pacific: 7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane 7.30am (Sunday) Sydney 9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!
Where?
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.
To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.
Upcoming topics:
“Silmarillion Chapter 8 – Of the Darkening of Valinor” – Saturday April 9 – Sunday April 17
“Tell us your LoTR fan experience!’ – Saturday April 23 – Sunday May 1
“Silmarillion Chapter 9 – Of the Flight of the Noldor” – Saturday May 7 – Sunday May 15
“Is LoTR unfilmable? Was Tolkien right?” – Saturday May 21 – Sunday May 29
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we’ll probably give it a run in the coming weeks – you might even get to guest moderate the session!
Join HoF Announce!
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Frodo_for_President writes: So, I got my Premiere magazine in the mail today, and was quite excited because it’s all about Revenge of the Sith and upcoming summer movies. So I’m flipping through, and I see a caricature of Dom, so I screech to a halt. It’s a blurb about Ringers!! I’ll type it up for you here:
Ringdom Come: Fans of Tolkien Lord Over Their Own Documentary
“Three Lord of the Rings movies and a year’s worth of DVD extras still not enough hobbit for you? Don’t worry, there’s a new documentary to take you back to the Shire.
“In ‘Ringers: Lord of the Fans’, film-makers Carlene Cordova and Cliff Broadway look at the influence the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have had on popular culture. Hobbitheads themselves, they raised money with the help of TheOneRing.net and sold LOTR collectibles on EBay to finance the documentary. Over more than two years, they interviewed Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and Peter Jackson, as well as artists, musicians, and academics who love the tale.
“‘It’s great to see fans who are so invested in the books and Pete Jackson’s work that they now want to see what’s happened four or five years down the line,” says Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry in the trilogy and narrates the documentary. “It’s how normal people were swept up by this extraordinary film project that was based on these amazing books and how it changed their lives.’
“But don’t start lining up at your local multiplex just yet. Though the film premiered at Slamdance – a sideshow to the famed Sundance Film Festival – in January to an overflow crowd, it is still being shopped at the studios for distribution. You have to hope the studio execs saw the buttons the filmmakers were sporting at Slamdance: ‘Like Trekkies Only Sexier.'”
WOW!!! Premiere Magazine… that’s great for them.
Star Wars, a bit about Hitchhiker’s Guide, an article about Kingdom of Heaven… and RINGERS!!! It’s a geek’s dream magazine 😛
SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE BENEFITS FROM BILLY BOYD’S POPULARITY
The popularity of Billy Boyd, star of multi Oscar-winning movie trilogy, Lord of the Rings, is set to add thousands of pounds to Scottish Youth Theatre’s £1m fundraising drive!
The money is being donated by ‘Billy Boyd’s Loons’, an American based charity website, created by fans of the young Scots actor.
The charity shares the same belief that J.R.R.Tolkien emphasized in his writings, that even the smallest person can make an impact in their world. Every item purchased from the group’s Online Shop contributes to the needs of its selected charities and this year, the main charity being supported is the Scottish Youth Theatre.
Robin Harmon of BBLoons explains; “Billy’s Loons Charities is very excited to have the opportunity to assist the Scottish Youth Theatre in providing quality theatre arts programs for young people. What should be remembered about Scottish Youth Theatre is that it is about much more than discovering ‘talent’. 75% of their work focuses on personal and social development through the creative process and over the years has assisted tens of thousands of Scots youngsters in this regard. In addition, we look forward to being part of the fundraising drive as a way to thank Billy Boyd for being such an inspiration in the lives of the members of Billy’s Loons Charities.”
Commenting from the United States, where he is currently filming, Billy Boyd, said; “I find it incredible and quite humbling that a group of people should use my name in fundraising for charities and even more so in that they take an interest in what I am involved in, such as raising money to develop the fantastic new building for the SYT, and focus their energies in that direction. If working in film brought nothing more than this it would be more than worthwhile.”
Mary McCluskey, CEO of Scottish Youth Theatre added; “We are absolutely amazed at this and are extremely grateful to the BBLoons for their generosity! I taught Billy when he was just a budding young actor and he has an active supporter of ours for a number of years. We can’t thank Peter Jackson enough for casting Billy in the role of Pippin in Lord of the Rings and bestowing this fortune on us!”
To find out more or to donate towards Scottish Youth Theatre’s fundraising efforts contact:
Scottish Youth Theatre at Forsyth House, 111 Union Street, GLASGOW G1 3TA Telephone: 0141 221 5127
Excitement fills the air as RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS makes its gala West Coast premiere at the 2005 Newport Beach Film Festival.
This will be the ONLY chance for west coast Ringer fans to see the highly-anticipated, critically acclaimed documentary on the BIG SCREEN. Ever.
Miss this and you’re out of luck.
This will be a huge affair, so don’t miss out. Many surprises are in store .
Billy Boyd’s short film INSTANT CREDIT will screen immediately before RINGERS.
Costumes and creativity are encouraged.
After the premiere, come to the RINGERS PREMIERE AFTER-PARTY with hosted bar and appetizers at The Fashion Island Hard Rock Café located at 451 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA, 92660 — Tel: 949-640-8844. The event is ages 21 and over ONLY! Live music and performances are being scheduled, details TBA.
The 2005 NBFF also includes a special Seminar Series where you can meet RINGERS director Carlene Cordova for a special discussion! The Documentary Filmmaking panel is scheduled the day after the premiere gala — on Sunday April 24th from 2:30pm – 4:00pm at the Newport Beach Public Library, located at 1000 Avocado Drive in Newport Beach.
TICKET INFO —————–
The screening is scheduled Saturday, April 23, 2005, at 7:30pm at the classic LIDO CINEMA located at 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA, 92663 — Tel: 949-673-8350.
The tickets to the Newport Beach Film Festival West Coast Premiere of “RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS will now be on sale starting Tuesday, April 5 at 4pm (PST) via phone ONLY. You can purchase tickets by calling 1-866-NBFF-TIX. Sorry about this, but we (the “RINGERS” filmmakers) have nothing to do with the ticket sales! It’s $50 per person for the screening and after party. (21 years old and over ONLY for the party.) For more info visit the “RINGERS” site. [Ringers @ New Port FF]
For Ringers in Southern California — be sure to join the official Line Party mailing list to get updates and special news in advance of this blow-out event!
RINGERS debuted at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival this January to sell-out crowds and great reviews. The Toronto Star called it “…comprehensive, entertaining and informative pop cultural history.” Independent film ubersite FilmThreat proclaimed: “It is a documentary that will always be a salient part of Lord of the Rings history…. See it, absorb it, love it!”
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS serves as a remarkable dénouement to the past 50 years of the worldwide following of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”
TORN is finally spreading its wings, with the help of Creation, to bring quality LOTR entertainment to the East Coast. Billy Boyd and Elijah Wood are our first confirmed guests, with more to come. The event will be the weekend of August 26-28, 2005 in Orlando, Florida. [Tickets]
And European fans, do not despair, there is a convention just for you in London that same weekend. The Fellowship Festival, hosted by AAA Events, will be held August 27-29, 2005 and promises to be as much fun as last year’s event. The two events will be working with each other to bring LOTR fans the best possible LOTR entertainment, on Two Continents. [aaaevents.co.uk]
Calling all Elves, Wizards, Rangers, and Hobbits: Do you have a great-looking LOTR costume & love wearing it?
The City of Hope is a cancer research and treatment hospital, and on SaturdayJune 4th they are throwing their large annual private party for their pediatric cancer patients and their families. Last year over 1500 people attended!
This year’s theme is “Hooray for Hollywood”, and the City of Hope is asking forpeople with great-looking LOTR costumes to appear at the event to the delight and amazement of these little kids. I was told that there will be many costumed folks there representing films from many genres and eras, but that this group of kids is particularly crazy about LOTR. (shows excellent taste, sez I.)
Although the exact location hasn’t been announced yet, I was told it will be in the general area of Burbank, California. Costumer check-in is 9AM, and the event lasts from 10AM-2PM. Lunch and refreshments will be provided to volunteers.
The City of Hope asks that all volunteers undergo a background check well in advance of the event. I am compiling a list of volunteers and each person is asked to submit:
their full legal name their date of birth: m/d/yr and their California Driver’s License number.
You also need to state the character you will be costumed as, and list any weapons the costume requires. My deadline to turn in this list of volunteers is Friday April 15th (tax day!)
So, if this sounds like something you’d like to participate in, please contact me by e-mail and give me your info, and I’ll add you to the list. I’ll keep volunteers updated with any new information as it is received.
