Tuesday, August 30, 2005 by Thomas Robins of my weekend of madness, and my face turning blue no, not from the wine or the scotch or the beer or from bad singing kiwis on the stage right up here no, the face turning blue was from a film I was in. I was dragged under water with a ridiculous grin I came over here thanks to my role of young Deagol and my tragic death by that bastard called Smeagol. I was flown on a plane to the bright lights of London To party with Rings Fans, they're like crazy or something! And their costumes I tell you they will just blow your mind Such a great bunch of people you'll just never find Anywhere on earth, except at this lovely show, That's the Fellowship Festival, in case you don't know. On Tuesday I'll be off, back to my home and to sleep Back to my little hobbits and where our dollar is cheap! So on behalf of your guests, I think I can say That we all had such a wonderful magnificent stay Because we all know that without you mad lot We'd never have it as good as we've got. So thanks for the weekend, we all had such fun Ring fans are crazy, and we love you all, each one!
Thomas Robins Fan Poem
- Xoanon @ 21:52 PST
Bonnie writes: At The Fellowship Feast on Sunday evening during this past weekend's Fellowship Festival 2005 in Wembley, UK, Thomas Robins recited the following poem he wrote for the fans. My friends, "Indis and Elentari", and I asked if we could have a copy of it to post at the Decipher LOTR fan club and The LOTR Fan Messageboards. The next day we were thrilled to receive autographed copies of the poem that Mr. Robins had written out from his notes for us. I thought you might like to post it here as well so more people could read it.
MY WEEKEND OF MADNESS
Let me tell you a story, I swear that is true
Monday, August 29, 2005
Elijah Wood in Toronto Report
- Xoanon @ 20:17 PST
ScoutB writes: gramma and I attended the Canadian National Science Fiction Expo this past weekend and it was wonderful! I'm sure she is going to post an insanely detailed report any minute, but I'm feeling impatient. So, here is my little report, my little moments, and my favorite photo EVER. G took the pic and, yes, I owe her a million!
* There was only about 350 people in the room, which was great. Very intimate feeling.
* Only Elijah...when I saw him before, he was with Sean Astin; it was nice to spend time with just him.
* I asked the first question of the day [insert squee here]. I saw the mic and saw that nobody went right up there. At ORC, there were huge lines as soon as he was in the room. He sat down and said hello and all that, then said, "Well...does anyone have questions?"
* I was squatting down in the center aisle with my camera (which they were allowing...and people weren't staying there, so it didn't jam up), so I jumped right up to the mic and said yes.
* He said hello and asked me how I was (!) and I said something or other (!!)and returned the question. He said he felt "great" b/c he had gotten 9 hours of sleep the night before. A tangent then ensued about his promotion schedule (he'd been in Edinburgh just prior to this). I'm still standing there, trying to keep my knees from knocking.
* He then got back to me and I asked, "I don't think you have a celebrity playlist on itunes; if and when you do, what will you put on it?"
* I was up there for over 4 minutes while he replied and went off on other tangents! He said, "Good question" right off. :)
* He did look at me a lot while he answered...I did a lot of nodding and smiling and trying to stay focussed.
* He said he had a playlist coming out September 6th! It has a song on it that he had to include from Hooligans: part of the promotion. He said it's a song that "might not have been one *I* chose..."
* He paused like he was done with his answer, so I prodded, "Can you tell us anything else that's on it?"
* He said, "I don't know!" - meaning, I think, he couldn't remember while on the spot (he has said he gets nervous at these sessions, too, which is amazing). He then mentioned a song by Sly and the Family Stone that "may be one of [his] favorite songs ever" and went into another tangent about the Langley Music School.
* Nobody asked stupid questions like "Boxers or briefs," which is amazing. It seems there's always one annoying fan who does.
* Even those who asked for hugs (and got them) started out with decent questions about acting, music, his experiences, etc.
* The autograph session was fast (despite an announcement that "Elijah has requested that people not be rushed through"), but brilliant, as you can see from the pics. I gave him another CD of Detroit music and he was interested enough to open it while I was standing there. No, he didn't mention the other one, but I'm hopeful that he'll want to and be able to keep it b/c he got so few gifts at this event (at ORC, he got tons).
It was wonderful!
Other than this session, the whole thing was great. Lots of anime/manga fans...horror people...Star Wars...lots of costumes and lots to see. Interesting.
It really was a perfect weekend. Gramma and I had a great dinner on Friday at a place with live jazz and ate out on the sidewalk on Queen Street: great people-watching. On Saturday, as our bliss lingered, we ate in Little Italy (where there was a street fair going on) and had a great dinner. Sleep was elusive that night. :-]
Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Neumünster: Some critics still sniff at soundtracks: "too shallow, too much entertainment", that's the prejudice. However, this concert in the Holstenhalle in Neumünster must have set even the last sceptic right: Terry Edwards (translater's addition: he's the guy who did all the choir work with the London Voices on the LOTR score) interpreted the "Lord of the Rings"-symphony with the NDR Pops Orchester, the Neuen Knabenchor Hamburg, the choirs of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival and the NDR and the Belgian soprano Ann De Renais (she was with the London Voices, too, interpreting Shore's score for the film). A gigantic work in six movements, about 90 minutes long. A symphonical journey through the fantastic world of Tolkien's tri-part novel. What Shore distilled from his oscar-crowned soundtrack for Peter Jacksons adaption is neoromantic, programmatical music, the musical "Ring" for the 21st Century, so to speak. Dramatic cascades of sound and chorals take turns with soprano soli and folkloristic, lyrical themes. Shore uses the complete range of the classical orchestra, adding ethnical instruments like hackboard, indian Sarangi or irish flute. The London conductor Edwards and his more than 200 musicians and singers have filled this score with so much life on Saturday, that they surpassed even the original score by Shore, as well as last year's excellent CD-version by the Prager Philharmonics. Orchestre and the choirs were at their task with noticable fun. Using sparing gestures, Edwards assured maximum accuracy even in the brute-force tutti-passages. Two blunders by the solo flute playing the hobbit-theme and overmodulated speakers while boy soprano Frans Bruhn was doing his part who cares. This was a concert of the sort " for eternity". The enthusiastic audience gratefully offered fifteen minutes of standing ovations. No encore. Too bad, but understandable: Whatever should Edwards have taken out of this complete piece of art?
A Concert for Eternity
- Xoanon @ 09:35 PST
Tinuvielas writes: Don't know if you've had any reports on Shore's LOTR-symphony conducted by Terry Edwards in Neumünster, Germany, during the Schleswig-Holstein-Musik-Festival last Saturday (August 13th)? We (TORners Issy, Neldoreth and myself) attended it, and we were totally enthusiastic, because it was a much better event than the European premiere in Antwerp conducted by Shore himself last year. Both the acoustics and the atmosphere at the concert hall and the performance of the excellent orchestra were simply overpowering. I add a transcription and a translation of a newspaper article that appeared in the "Hamburger Abendblatt" Monday the 15th (I think), in case you're interested!
Monday, August 22, 2005 The Fellowship started at about 10am, and Return of the King ended at about 10 at night, with 30 minut breaks inbetween each film. The first two films were extended editions, while Return was theatrical because the extended version has never been put on film. Another nice touch which came inbetween lunchen and afternoon tea, were four small peices of lembas bread wrapped in a banana leaf. Over all the experience was very good, and for any die hard LOTR fan, something like this is a must. I would adivse anyone who leaves near Austin or can make the venture to Austin, the Alamo Drafthouse will be holding another showing in November and tickets go on sale this friday, August 26th. http://www.drafthouse.com/
LOTR at the Alamo Drafthouse Report!
- Xoanon @ 22:19 PST
Anton writes: This past Sunday, August the 21st, in Austin Texas, a local movie theater by the name of Alamo Drafthouse showed all three Lord of the Rings movies back to back in one day, much like theaters around the world did on trilogy tuesday two years ago.
Alamo Drafthouse is a unique theater, which serves you food during the movie, each row has its own little table. For this showing of the LOTR trilogy, they served all 7 hobbit meals, which included a chicken stew or root vegetable stew, strawberries and cream, and tea for afternoon tea with a biscuit and cookies, among other meals.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
San Francisco Trilogy Screening
- Xoanon @ 19:16 PST
Celebriel writes: "Get off the road!" said Frodo. And into the Presidio Theatre, he might have added. This Thursday, August 18, from 11AM to midnight, SF Trilogy is hosting a benefit performance of everyone's favorite trilogy to raise funds for Cure Autism Now. Join us for all three films, door prizes, raffles, and our costume contest, which will be judged by award winning costumers Kathe and Philip Guste. Additional programming includes short subjects The Fellowship of the Bags and Lord of the Beans.
Our fabulous prizes include t-shirts autographed by John Rhys-Davies, an autographed copy of Sean Astin's book There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale, autographed prints from Alan Lee, autographed Sideshow/WETA collectibles including Shelob and Elrond, plaques and tiles from Creation Entertainment, Lord of the Rings Monopoly and trivia games, our grand prize, The One Ring, from Master Replicas and much, much more. Alan Lee has donated artwork created just for this event. This special art is featured on our event t-shirts.
OK everyone, get out your costume, tell your friends, and get your tickets at sftrilogy.org. Join us for a fun day benefiting a great cause.
Thursday, August 11, 2005 The highlight for most was the early availability of his new Lord of the Rings Sketchbook, and getting to speak with him away from the main con happenings, he seemed to quite enjoy the time given to go back and get some work in of characters and locations that he wasn't able to address for the films. I hope that others will write and relate tales of the panels, to try to do them justice in any one report would be a monumental task. Suffice it to say that he was a very welcome addition to the convention, and folks seem to be as in awe of him personally as of his draftsmanship and painting.
Alan Lee in Glasgow Report
- Xoanon @ 14:13 PST
Derek writes: I don't know if many or any reports have made it in, and these will be loosely recalled here, but Alan Lee was a wonderful and gracious guest over this past weekend at WorldCon in Glasgow. His panels were well-attended, and he proved to be every bit the open, soft-spoken and endearing man he comes across as in print and on video.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005 At the picnic, come and meet other Tolkien fans, play games and join in our discussion topic. If you can stay cool outside, come in costume as well. Bring a dish to share with the rest of the group! The Three Rivers Park District now offers free parking to all patrons attending any of their parks. The picnic location within Elm Creek will be in the recreation/picnic/swimming area. This is about a mile and a half drive and on your left hand side once you have entered the park. Look for Lord of the Rings flags and that is where you will find us.
Tolkien Picnic Potluck in Minnesota
- Xoanon @ 11:22 PST
David from The Minnesota Tolkien Society writes: On Saturday, August 13, the Minnesota Tolkien Society will be having its annual picnic potluck. The picnic will be held at Elm Creek Park Reserve in Osseo, MN. Address is as follows: 13080 Territorial Road, Osseo, MN (County Road 81 to Territorial Road). We will begin our activities at 10:00 AM.