Greetings from Welly-moot, the Tolkien Society chapter in Wellington: “This is primarily an announcement for anyone who was in the queue at Wellington’s Embassy Theatre last night and went away thinking you were the unluckiest little hobbits in the Shire. Have I got news for you!
“Through the help of Sir Peter Jackson and Matt Dravitzki and also Sarah Meikle of Positively Wellington Tourism, tickets to the 48fps, 3D, Atmos sound, main auditorium, first day midnight screening have been provided for those dedicated fans. Members of Welly-moot were also among the disappointed last night, and one of those members, Jack Machiela, has volunteered to try to track down people who were in the line and get those tickets to them. According to Sarah Meikle, this will be a very exciting party – apart from the obvious reasons – and she does not want those die-hard fans to miss out.
“So, if you were one of those 50-60 people in line (or know someone who was and have been listening to them crying all day), get in touch with Jack at jack@pobox.com, tell him where you were sitting, and enclose any photos you have of yourself in the line. They won’t be able to give out large numbers of extra tickets; expect one or two tickets per person. This is a big job Jack has taken on, but he is one very big fan who wants things set to rights. Our Jack, however, is nobody’s fool, and the few who have contacted him through other sites with ‘I was there in spirit, can I have a free ticket, too’ are wasting their time and his, and I know nobody here has time to waste – we all have line party costumes to make.
“Peter Jackson has always said that the making of these films has been about the fans, and he is one of them. I’d say this is what you’d call walking the walk.”
Cheers, Lissuin
Tehanu: Guy from Prague and your friend, I’ve got your back. Here’s a pic of you both – now contact Jack with a corroborating photo and he’ll get you your tickets. Four Spanish-Speaking Latino-Looking Guys behind me – I noticed you but didn’t get a picture. You were the last in line. Hope you have a pic of yourselves – maybe I can verify it for Jack.
Also if the Stansborough guys got pics of anyone modelling their Gandalf cloaks and scarves – see if they have those pics to prove you were in line.
Here’s another sample from Howard Shore’s score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. ‘Old Friends’ is very much a reprise of Concerning Hobbits, and obviously meant to signify Bilbo and Gandalf’s getting reacquainted. It also turns a little dark and foreboding at the end. Now what on earth could that signal? Thanks to our friends at Tolkiendrim for the heads-up! Continue reading “Listen to Howard Shore’s ‘Old Friends’”
Say hello to Sauroniops pachytholus. The name means ‘eye of Sauron’ in Greek, and it’s a newly announced species of dinosaur that was identified from a single fossil fragment of part of its upper skull found in the Kem Kem region of south-east Morocco in 2007.
As big as a Tyrannosaurus rex, the beast stalked North Africa around 95 million years ago, according to a study published recently in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
That fossil included only part the upper skull—including the eye socket, study leader Andrea Cau, of the Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini in Bologna, Italy, said by email. “The idea of a predator that is physically known only as its fierce eye reminded me of Sauron, in particular as depicted in Peter Jackson’s movies,” Cau explained. Continue reading “Say hello to Sauron the dinosaur!”
It is November 7 and in a few short hours, tickets will be on sale for most of the theaters in the US and Canada that will be showing The Hobbit. This will include many of the Regal and AMC theaters we’ve recently reported on that will screen the film in 48fps. The Trilogy screenings the weekend before The Hobbit opens are also on sale today. Before you go and buy tickets to see The Hobbit, take a look at our Line Party page and see if there is one near you. And if there is no existing Line Party near you, feel free to start one at whichever theater you buy your tickets at. Right now, there are some 40+ Line Parties, including a party in Bulgaria, Curucao, Mexico, Helsinki and Auckland, as well as across the US. Hey Canada and Australia, whats up with NO Line Parties? TORn staffers are leading parties in Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Hollywood, Allentown, Irvine and other locations, but anyone can host a Line Party. So click on the Community button, select the Line Party option and get to planning your own little shindig. All you really need to know is the actual address of the theater to get it pinned onto the Line Party map. [Line Parties]
The Dominion Post has updated with the latest developments in the Embassy Line Party debacle: Peter Jackson is aware of the situation and is looking for a way to “arrange something special” for fans who waited in line to no avail last night. Read More
I’d like to lead the Tolkien fan community in sending out a big “Thank You” to Peter Jackson for reaching out to us like this. We are so, so lucky to have him at the helm throughout this journey to see Middle-earth on screen.
Fantastic news from Jack Machiela, who runs the Tolkien Society’s Wellington branch. “Wellington NZ is having a Hobbit Line party TOMORROW night! The Embassy Theatre has agreed to open the Box Office line for us at Midnight 12:01am on EARLY Wednesday morning, so we’re all turning up at 11:30pm tomorrow night. Hopefully people will turn up in costumes as well… :)”
