With kind permission John Howe has allowed us to re-print his newsletter entries as they are released. Take a look at the latest edition!

The Rest of the Rest - I realize I have been remiss is announcing events in Saint-Ursanne - actually I've been a little too busy with what I've been doing to think about announcing what I will be doing. Here are the rest of the dates... [More]

Vanessa "Saffron" Price, Online Community Representative for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, writes: Meet Boromir, son of Denethor and Captain-General of Gondor! [More]

From Rachel, Web Content Manager for WETA: News from San Diego Comic Con 2007!

Weta reveal HALO3 Collectible intentions

Doctor Who pieces revealed

New Raygun announced

Weta Bug reports live from Comic Con [Part II]

Lord Cockswain and Moon Mistress spotted at Comic Con

New Rayguns testimonial

Richard "Galadhorn" Derdzinski writes: The most important event in Tolkienian Poland this summer was 11th Tolk Folk, the annual Tolkien festival in Bielawa, Lower Silesia, Poland. Waiting for the English translation of the festival report we want to inform you that the happening was gorgeous, splendid, magnificent! Famous Tolkienian musician Adam Klein was the guest of honour. The event was full of his music, and its main part was the reconstruction of the Siege of Gondolin with Polish and Czech participants. [More]

From abc.net.au: Sir Ian McKellen is widely recognised as the best classical actor of his generation, he has a glittering array of awards including two Academy Award nominations, and he's been knighted. Now at 68, Sir Ian has finally tackled perhaps Shakespeare's most demanding role, King Lear, and for eight days in Melbourne, he and a stellar cast will present 10 performances of 'Lear' and another great classic, Chekov's 'The Seagull'. [More]

Jonotrek writes: Since I let you know about Miranda Otto co-starring in a new television series back in back I wanted to update you with new information. ABC-TV announced on Wednesday Cashmere Mafia will premiere the first week of December. Note that there will be a special preview of the show that follows the Dancing with the Stars finale and airs the week after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday (which is good because the actual week of Thanksgiving normally is one of the lowest rated weeks all year).

Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, 60, is joining the cast of Peter Jackson's film adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones. Sarandon will play the character of Grandma Lynn, the mother of the character played by Rachel Weisz, show-business Variety newspaper reported. The Wellington-based production tells the story of a girl who is murdered but then continues to observe her family after her death. So far Jackson has young Irish Actress newcomer Saoirse Ronan staring as Susie Salmon, a girl who is raped and murdered and watches her family from heaven. [More]

Vanessa "Saffron" Price, Online Community Representative for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, writes: Little is known about the secretive race of the Giants. Some would say they were the stuff of legend, but those who have explored the wilderness have witnessed their power. [More]

Penny writes: I just wanted to let everyone know that I attended the LOTR Symphony performance at the Blossom Festival in Cleveland this past weekend and it was brilliant!! I have now seen the symphony 5 times around the midwest and this was the best every performance. Perhaps this can be attributed to the talent of the Cleveland Orchestra and their attending choirs, perhaps it can be attributed to the fact that this orchestra and performed it before, or perhaps we can attribute it to the passion of the conductor, none other than composer Howard Shore. I have a feeling it was all three of these factors plus the incredible setting of the outdoor venue that really enhance the feel of the music. [More]

Meghan S. Rodberg, Online Community Manager for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar writes: We just announced the launch of a referral program for LOTRO, which lets our players earn free game time for referring their friends to play the game.

We're proud to announce the Turbine Referral Program, a great way to earn free game time by introducing your family and friends to The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™! It's so easy an orc can do it! [More] [lotro.com/referral]

Internationally acclaimed artist and LOTR guru John Howe writes: This is the limited pendant done for the summer exhibition "Saint-Ursanne la Fantastique". Done by a local jeweller, it is based on one of the exhibition's sculpture designs. Made of sterling silver, it is engraved "johnhowe07" on the back. This engraved edition is strictly limited to 100 copies.

Claire writes: Reviews of "In Celebration", with Orlando Bloom in his London stage debut, have been appearing in UK newspapers.

The Observer's critic was impressed with Orlando's acting, and indeed the whole production. [More]

On the other hand, the Telegraph's reviewer really didn't like the play at all, and his opinion of Orlando definitely comes under the heading of "damning with faint praise".

The Independent's review feels that the play always lacked psychological depth and is now rather dated. [More]

Dated, perhaps, but still having an impact, is the opinion of The Times' reviewer. [More]

There are more compliments, too, in The Stage, the theatrical world's trade paper. [More]

SINGAPORE -- Ian McKellen says playing the title character in William Shakespeare's "King Lear" is more nerve-racking than his recent Hollywood film roles. Singapore is the first stop on the Royal Shakespeare Company's international tour of "King Lear" and "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. " 'King Lear,' I've been seeing all my life. I mean, the great actors of my lifetime ... to join their company, as it were, by playing a part that's challenged them, is one of the great joys of being an actor who does the classics," the 68-year-old actor said Wednesday at a briefing. "Without doubt, Lear is the one I got most nervous about." [More]

Two years ago, director David Cronenberg and actor Viggo Mortensen had a huge triumph with the world premiere of A History of Violence at the Toronto International Film Festival. And when they stroll down the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall before dusk on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the 2007 festival, you could be pardoned for having a flash of déjà vu. Yes, it's another Toronto International Film Festival; another world premiere; another night at Roy Thomson Hall; and, once again, the Star has learned, Cronenberg will occupy what some regard as the most desirable slot in the festival: the early gala on the first Saturday. [More]

From the folks at Weta Limited: Howdy folks! Here's a run down of what's been happening at Weta HQ this month - we've been busy little Weta's! [More]

In this issue:

Doctor Who range announced!
ManMelter Pre-Ordering Open!
Weta's Halo3 work revealed
Weta Comic Convention line up revealed
Eight year old wins Weta art tutorial
Weta Influences Graffiti artist
more..

The owners of a Hobbit-style wood and earth home threatened with demolition for years failed in another bid to save it yesterday. The ecologically friendly, solar-powered Round House at Brithdir Mawr near Newport, Pembrokeshire, has been the subject of legal wrangling since it was built without planning permission 10 years ago for £3,000. Pembrokeshire Council had taken court action to secure its removal but this was halted so that its retention could be re-examined against the framework of a recently adopted low impact development policy. [More]

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - As Gandalf and Magneto, he's faced off fire-breathing monsters and superheroes, but actor Ian McKellen says he picks his battles when it comes to celebrity causes. The Oscar-nominated thespian stepped into a brewing debate in Singapore about decriminalising homosexual acts just hours after arriving in the city state this week as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's touring production of William Shakespeare's "King Lear" and Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull". McKellen, 68, was quoted in Singapore's pro-government media urging the state to repeal its laws that make sexual acts between men a crime. [More]

LORD of the Rings star Billy Boyd will play in the Capital with his band Beecake as part of Saturday's Cut the Carbon rally. The actor will join celebrities who are backing the event, designed to highlight the effect of climate change on some of the world's poorest countries. Harry Potter actress Katie Leung will also be at the rally, which will take place in the Meadows. [More]

For Sharon Kretschmar, The Lord of the Rings isn't just a collection of stories about Hobbits and elves or a few movies with cool special effects. Kretschmar, 60, goes on the Internet nearly every day to talk with other Ringers, as fans call themselves. She's done that for the last six years. And if you imagine that she's chained to her home computer, living in a make-believe universe, consider this: Kretschmar has made a whole new circle of friends that she has visited in the United States and abroad, in places as far afield as Ireland and New Zealand. [More]