Barliman's Chat Throughout the War of the Ring there were several turning points, but among the most crucial to the downfall of Sauron was the battle of Helm’s Deep and the defeat of Saruman’s forces.

This Saturday, (July 15 at 6pm EDT (New York time)) the Hall of Fire crew invite you to join us as we discuss the downfall of Saruman, the wizard who would become the Lord of the Ring.

‘Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!’ he said. ‘We are the doorwardens. Meriadoc, son of Saradoc is my name; and my companion, who, alas! is overcome with weariness’ – here he gave the other a dig with his foot – ‘is Peregrin, son of Paladin, of the house of Took. Far in the North is our home. The Lord Saruman is within; but at the moment he is closeted with one Wormtongue, or doubtless he would be here to welcome such honourable guests.’ Continue reading “Hall of Fire topic this weekend: The Road to Isengard”

Barliman's Chat Last weekend, the Hall of Fire crew delved into the Two Towers chapter the White Rider. Belatedly, for those who couldn’t attend, here’s a log. Continue reading “Hall of Fire chat log: The White Rider”

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John Rhys-DaviesHappy Birthday John Rhys-Davies! turns 69 today. Born May 5, 1944, John is a very well known English-born Welsh actor and vocal artist. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which he also voiced the ent, Treebeard. He also played Agent Michael Malone in the 1993 remake of the 1950s television series The Untouchables, as well as portraying Professor Maximillian Arturo in Sliders, General Leonid Pushkin in the James Bond film The Living Daylights, and Macro in I, Claudius. Additionally, he provided the voices of Cassim in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Man Ray in SpongeBob SquarePants, and Tobias in the computer game Freelancer. In summary, he has been in everything! Cheers to one of our favorite actors! Happy Birthday! Send him your birthday wishes with #happybirthdaygimli!