12-03-02 Latest News

TV Watch: STARZ! Talks TTT
Xoanon @ 3:41 pm EST

teth writes: STARZ! channel (USA) will show "On the Set: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at the following time (all pacific time zone, check local listing):

12/11 11:45pm
12/14 6:00pm
12/15 2:15am
12/15 1:05pm

They will also show LOTR:FOTR:

12/14 8:00pm
12/15 2:20am
12/15 1:30pm

MTV Ruins The Two Towers Experience
Demosthenes @ 3:03 pm EST

Demosthenes here ... I'm about to rant. And while it might not be the opinion of the entire site ... I'm still going to rant!

Some people have been 'lucky' enough to see Two Towers courtesy of MTV's Movie House. I use quotes because MTV apparently decided it would be a very cool thing to walk in on the climax of the film and begin interviewing people while the film was still running.

I don't think words begin to explain exactly how furious and frustrated some of those people are this morning. Apparently, AICN has received a minor flood of complaints about this. To give you an idea, here's an excerpt from one unfortunate viewer:

Now I guess I'm not supposed to complain because they did provide me with a free movie, but can we please talk about the sheer stupidity of having a show where the movie-goers are interrupted DURING the film to see what they think!?

OK, ok...if that's what they want their show to be about, who am I to stop them....but COME ON - how about a night-vision camera.....and if that IS what they use...how about a night-vision camera that doesn't need a big, bright freakin' light on it that shines RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE AUDIENCE!

You can read more firsthand experiences at AICN here. Be warned in advance though, a lot of these people didn't exactly hold back. If strong languange bothers you, you might like to skip it.

I wouldn't normally call any moviegoer who saw Two Towers early unfortunate, but I'd prefer to wait (for months if I had to!) rather than be put through that sort of irritation.

It is, of course, true that MTV put on this screening. So in one sense they can do whatever they like ... and, at the end of the day, they're there to make ratings and money, not to be a charity. But aren't they just shooting themselves in the foot? Isn't this simply downright rude?

MTV obviously doesn't care for The Two Towers ... but I find it odd - and highly disappointing - that they obviously don't care about the moviegoing experience either.

I mean, it's kind of hard to enjoy a film when a camera light is doing awful things to the screen or some guy is next to you whispering questions into your ear.

What do you think? Is this one of the worst TV ideas ever, or am I off my rocker and not quite with the modern moviegoing experience? Go to our message boards and sound off here.

NB: you need to register to post on these boards, but it's simple (honest!) and costs you nothing.

The Two Towers - 'phenomenal'
Demosthenes @ 1:50 pm EST

Aya was lucky enough to see the NYC press screening last night. Read on to get your fill of spoilers ...

The Two Towers - 'phenomenal'

I saw the press screening of the movie last night in NYC (I guess hanging out with radio folk has its perks!) - Before I go any further I have to say this : I thought it was a phenomenal movie!! If I dwell too much on criticisms in my review, it is not because I thought it was a bad movie or didn't like it in the slightest - it is because I am sure that these are the sorts of things that people probably want to hear about (Goodness!! I can't imagine any hardcore fan out there is saying to themself "I wonder if it's any good?").

I think that there are already several good summaries of the movie out there already, so I won't bore you with talking about how huge the battle of Helm's deep was, how cool the cleansing of Isengard was, or how absolutely hilarious Gimli's lines were!

Andy Serkis is "perfect" as Gollum

The one thing that DOES bear repeating (over and over and over) is Gollum! How perfect is Andy Serkis? It was the best acting I have seen in a long time - and he was never even physically on screen!! The voice was AMAZING!

It was so reminiscent of JRR Tolkien's voicing of Gollum - I cannot fathom how he produced such delightful coraking, gurgling, choking, rasping noises! The distinction between Smeagol and Gollum was so clear, as well - to me, the animation of the character (which was flawless), was a far second to his voice. As an aside, I was quite worried from the few clips of Gollum we had seen thusfar - between his appearances in FotR and in the trailer, I was afraid he'd be animated far to spiderlike and fake - but he is actually quite believable; you can see that he could have once been a hobbit.

What was utterly frustrating to me is that for those who have been following the various reports of the movies for the past year, it is very obvious that they cut out so many scenes from the movie! Once again, scenes from the trailers and commercials have not made the movie. There is no scene with Arwen running out to Elrond, there is no scene in Aglarond with Eowyn fighting an Uruk-hai (They even made a DOLL based on that scene!), Frodo and sam go through no sewers in Osgiliath, there is no scene with Deagol and Smeagol in a boat... alas!

Helm's Deep over too quickly

The end of the Helm's deep battle also seems a bit too quickly over. From the Visual companion (that had the pull out map/guide to the battle), we know that at least conceptually, the ents showed up to cut off the orcs retreat, just as they did in the book. This is not even hinted at in the movie. Gandalf shows up with some men on horseback, and suddenly the battle is over. Yay and hurrah - but where are the ents??

Busy in Isengard, I suppose - I love the ent with the burning hair that quenched it in the flooding river!!

Interestingly, in the way this movie was edited, it did not deviate from the books so much as rumored. The elves leave rivendell, but they do not seem to leave for Lorien - it is implied that they leave for the grey havens (and perhaps they indeed are doing so?). Still, when Haldir shows up at Helm's deep with his force of elves, he says that he comes on behalf of Elrond. Not exactly explained, but no matter.

Ithilien rangers too fearless?

One minor gripe I had was that the Rangers did not seem appropriately afraid of the Nagul and fellbeast in Osgiliath!

The rumors that Aragorn must tame Brego (why did they choose to name his horse Brego in this movie?) by speaking to him in Sindarin appear false; there is a touching scene when Brego comes to get Aragorn after he takes a bit of a swim.

One theme that was pounded over and over and over in this movie was that of hope; the dialogue seems to consist largely of "We have no hope" "You must not give up on hope" "Where is our hope?" "We must trust in hope!" - by the end, Sam has a little monologue where he says essentially "There is one thing left worth fighting for in this world" (I look at my friend - HOPE?) - ah, but I will let you find out what that is when you see the movie!

Two Towers is bigger and darker

This definitely had a different feel from FotR, not only in the sense that it was much BIGGER and much darker, but I think because of the necessity of cutting from subplot to subplot. In the FotR, you got a real feeling that you were on a journey along with the fellowship; you were moving through middle earth and fighting baddies along the way.

In TTT there is not that same feeling. Although Frodo and Sam do progress through the Emyn Muil, through the Dead Marshes, through Ithilien and up to Osgiliath, since that journey visually takes such a back seat to the massive (no pun intended) battle, one does not feel as swept up with them as in FotR.

More accesible to non-fans

I think that this film is much more accessible to non-fans than the first installment; whereas in FotR it was rather important to understand the characters and their motives for doing what they did, in TTT it is pretty clear: there are good guys, bad guys, and a huge battle.

If you don't know who the Rohirrim are and how they relate to the Gondorians, if you don't know who the Haradrim and the Easterlings are, if you don't know what ents are, it doesn't really matter. I think the one character where it really DOES matter is in Gollum; and as in the book, the conversations he has with himself serve to let the viewers know why he is doing what he is doing.

One minor mistake I caught: in the scene in Fangorn, watch Legolas. They clearly flipped a shot or two ("these woods are old") - easily noticed if you watch his leaf-pin and the buckle on his quiver!

Live in Sydney ? Want To See The Wellington Premiere?
Demosthenes @ 6:21 am EST

Vardia writes: There is a competition on Channel 9, in Sydney (Australia) to win a flight to NZ and tickets to the Australasian premiere of TTT for two people. There are two prizes to be won.

However, it's only for people in Sydney.

People need to ring 1902 554 633 and leave their name, address, daytime phone number, and the word "Gondor".

(Apparently you needed to watch a TV prgram to find this out, so we're giving you a tip along!)

The competition closes at 9am Thursday 5 December. They will be announcing winners on the episode of Survivor shown on Channel 9 that night (I think it's 9.30pm(?)).

New Title Announced!
Flinch @ 11:39 pm EST

LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 2, 2002 – Black Label Games, a studio of Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games), has announced it has entered into a production agreement with Liquid Entertainment to develop “The Lord of the Rings™: The War of the Ring,” a real-time strategy (RTS) game for the PC platform. The game will be developed through VU Games’ long-term agreement with Tolkien Enterprises to create interactive entertainment based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novel “The Lord of the Rings.” The game will be released in early 2004.

Expanding on the world of Middle-earth and its inhabitants as introduced by J.R.R. Tolkien, the game allows players to engage in the epic story though both a good and an evil single-player campaign. Players also will be able to play on both sides in an extensive multi-player mode.

“The selection of Liquid Entertainment, recognized in the gaming industry for their PC strategy title, ‘Battle Realms,’ as the developer for ‘The War of the Ring’ underscores our long-term commitment to creating high-quality titles based on the Tolkien works,” said Torrie Dorrell, general manager of Black Label Games.

Live Chat with Author Brian Sibley Scheduled
Jincey @ 7:43 pm EST

Have you ever wondered what it was like on the sets of The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand and how the magic of Middle-earth was created? Then we invite you to join us Saturday, December 7 at 6pm GMT (1pm EST) in #TheHallofFire for a live, moderated chat with Brian Sibley, author of "The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy", "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Insiders' Guide", and "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" among many other works.

The well-respected BBC broadcaster Sibley already had an enduring interest in Tolkien and fantasy fiction when he first joined up with artist John Howe 20 years ago to provide text to Howe's HarperCollins-published maps on Tolkien¹s "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion".

Much like Peter Jackson, Sibley's reading of Tolkien's works as a child and teen, followed by viewing of Ralph Bakshi's film production, laid the foundation for what would become his own masterwork: the acclaimed BBC dramatization of 'Lord of the Rings' -- beloved by fans, respected by scholars, and much-referred to by Peter Jackson's crew, actors, and executives.

Sibley's intimate knowledge of Tolkien's works, as well as his tremendous research skills, made him a natural choice as chronicler of Jackson's own Rings odyssey. Granted unprecedented access to all areas of production, Sibley's "Official Movie Guide" and "Making of the Movie Trilogy" put the reader alongside the films' creators as they brought the massive project to life.

Brian Sibley's long career includes not only numerous works focused on Tolkien, but also examinations of C.S. Lewis's Narnia, the history of Walt Disney Studio, and several volumes focusing on film animation and A.A. Milne.

Bibliography:
The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy
The J.R.R. Tolkien Handbook: A Concise Guide to His Life, Writings, and World of Middle-Earth (with Colin Duriez)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Insiders' Guide
The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide
Three Cheers for Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World (Ernest Shepard, Illustrator)
Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie
The Wisdom of C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands: The Story of His Life With Joy Davidman
Creating 3-D Animation: The Aardman Book of Filmmaking (with Peter Lord)
The Pooh Sketchbook (Winnie-The-Pooh Collection) (Ernest Shepard, Illustrator)
The Land of Narnia: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C.S. Lewis
There and Back Again: The Map of the Hobbit (John Howe, Illustrator)
The Map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth (John Howe, Illustrator)
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & the Making of the Classic Film (with Richard Holliss)
The Great Food Feud or a Little Give and Take (Rosslyn Moran, Illustrator)
The Disney Studio Story (with Richard Holliss)

We'd like to thank Megan at Houghton Mifflin Publishers for helping set up this chat! Thanks Megan! You rock!!!

TTT Review - What Of The Cast Performances?
Demosthenes @ 7:18 pm EST

Tigerlilly Gamgee sent in this Two Towers review that is largely absent of spoilers. Those who want a feel of the performances in the film may enjoy this one, though if you're trying to avoid spoilers regarding who may or may not be at Helm's Deep, perhaps you should steer clear.

The Two Towers - What Of The Cast Performances?

I had the priveledge of attending an advanced screening of TTT this morning here in Chicago (along with Roger Ebert... and many other contest winners). My opinion is still forming for this movie; it is just so strange because you are accustomed to FOTR and then you see the characters in a new story (which you probably already know the ending to). Overall, I did like it. I was not disappointed. I need to see it again!

It varies away from the books a lot more than FOTR did. Some parts didn't even exist in the books, and in other cases you are seeing the same story from different perspectives. Sam and Gimli stole the show, in my opinion. Everyone voted that Pippin would be the comic relief in this movie, but I think that Gimli has stolen his trophy on that account. Many of Sam's greatest moments from the books are left in the movie (Sam fans will be cheering at these parts!), and some really nice new scenes are given to him. Legolas is also more likeable in this movie. He becomes a little more "humanistic" in quality, as opposed to the slightly "magical" nature he had about him in the first film (his kind-of "aloofness"). Elijah Wood does a great job with Frodo as he becomes possessed by the ring. There are some heart-breaking moments for him and Sam (one really huge one at the end; which is from a shot in the trailer, but you wouldn't know that that shot of Frodo is actually in a scene with Sam and not Gollum).

The new characters are all lovely. Eowyn has a very nice introduction and she doesn't whip out the sword quite yet (at least, not in a big way). Theoden is well played and Wormtongue is great. Eomer is also a lot better than I expected (no offense to Karl Urban, it's just that he seemed a little dryer in the books; but new life is good). There is also some nice stuff with the Rohan refugees, some of it is very emotional and may move some to tears (look for the Jackson kids in the caves - boy they get around don't they!).

Gollum and Treebeard, in my opinion, have not fallen in the "Jar-Jar trap", but those who have not read the books may not like them. I can see how putting an Ent on screen is a difficult task (with their not wanting to be hasty and all - I don't think that people will quite understand them if they haven't read the books). Merry has a lovely speech at the Entmoot (addition); Dominic is really stepping up to the plate. Gollum is done very well, though slightly different from my impressions of him in the book (though, I have never really liked him - so don't listen to me). I never felt pity for him while reading the book, but that aspect is brought into the movie very nicely. His relationship with Frodo and Sam is great! It really made me see why Frodo trusts him.

You get to see Merry and Pippin start to grow up in this film. I mentioned the speech Merry has... great! Pippin also has a nice moment with Treebeard when they have left the Moot. He's not so much of a "fool" anymore.

The scene between Arwen and Elrond is very well done. Everyone is worrying about her being in the movie, but I enjoyed that scene (though her picture on the poster need not be so big). The flash-forward was very moving and it let's the audience see more of what Arwen is sacrificing to be with Aragorn (that was probably unclear to non-readers in the first movie). Fear not, she does not come to Helm's Deep (though I can't speak for Haldir's troops on that matter)! I, personally, liked the elves at Helm's Deep. It gave the movie a slight Silmarillion-like moment. I think it added to the relationships of the characters, and it showed more where the fate of Middle Earth is heading. Helm's Deep is spectacular!!!!!!!! 'Nuff said there...

The movie has a great climax accompanied by a speech with Sam. I was accompanied by Rosemunde Brownlocks (from my Line Party) and she made an excellent point that... at one point or another in the movie each character has a moment where they realize that this is their fight. All of Middle Earth is in peril, not just an individual race or kingdom. This speech is the climax of those moments. Very well done... go Sean Astin!!!!!

Well, this is already long, so I will end here. I tried not to spoil too much, so hopefully I didn't ruin anything for anyone. Now, I am eager to see what Ebert is going to say (though something tells me he's probably going to be skeptical about it). Fans will not be disappointed, though I am beginning to think that maybe I shouldn't have re-read the book so close to the movie's release date (because of the differences - it made them much more noticeable). They are each in their own, different, yet the same. Be ready for moments that will blow you away!

~Tigerlily Gamgee~

Mail on Sunday - Some Choice Scans!
Demosthenes @ 4:46 pm EST

Yesterday we provided one of the articles from the Mail on Sunday magazine special. Today, we've put together a few images (the more unusual ones, rather than the ones that we've seen over and over) and another article for your reading - and viewing - enjoyment. Thanks to Ringer Spies IC, Aragorn_is_Mine and Arwenelf for sending in these scans.

These aren't in any particular order, and spoiler warnings apply.

Fearsome Bilbo Mask from WETA

Faramir, Mablung and Damrod

WETA Gollum Model

Crouching Gollum

Grishnakh

Uruk Hai Beserker covered in the mark of the White Hand

Mail on Sunday article

Weekend Round Up
Xoanon @ 12:02 am EST

New Cast Projects

SHOP: Weekly Ebay Items

Weekly Cast Watch

'The War of Rage' Fan Film

Amnesty International TTT Screening In San Fran!

Topps TTT Card Collection

Media Watch: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Go To The Two Towers London Premiere!

Put Billy Boyd To The Question!

Mediawatch: Ring Masters

Mail On Sunday TTT Special

The Latest Rumblings From BillyBoyd.net

Elijah & PJ Interviews In Irish Independent

International Release Dates Update

Who's Hot? Billy Boyd!

Second TTT US TV Spot

Game Technology Stars In 'Rings'

Sean Bean Sketch Up For Auction

Treebeards Voice Description?!

TV Watch: Elijah To Appear On Regis & Kelly

Ian McKellen SNL Repeat

International Release Dates For The Two Towers

Holland Gets Soundtrack Early

Media Watch: The Scotman Interviews Liv Tyler

Vote For Your Film Of The Year!

RoTK Set For IMAX

Mail On Sunday Freebie

Andrew Lesnie, LOTR Cinematographer

Helm's Deep Battle Map

Empire Magazine Previews The Two Towers

New Cast Projects
Xoanon @ 11:51 pm EST

Ian Mune (Bounder) and Martyn Sanderson (Bree Gatekeeper) play 'Long' and 'Short' in the new short film 'Cow' by Michael Bennett.

Miranda Otto (Eowyn) is working on a new comedy 'Danny Deckchair' for director Jeff Balsmeyer (The Room), the film also stars the very funny Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Little Nicki).

David Wenham (Faramir) is starring in the action crime thriller 'Banged Out', the plot revolves around two major LA gangs the 'Bloods' and 'Crips'.

Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) is currently working on the next Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) film 'The Last Ride', the film also stars Tommy Lee Jones.

As we reported earlier in the week, Ian McKellen (Gandalf) is working on a small budget Canadian film 'Emile' with director Carl Bessai (Lola). Ian is currenlty in Victoria island working on the film.

Sean Astin is lending his voice to the new animated TV series 'Party Wagon' for Craig Bartlett, the same person who brought you such work as 'Ren & Stimpy', 'Rugrats' and 'Hey Arnold!'

Weekly Cast Watch
Xoanon @ 11:06 pm EST

To get more information, use the sites I use like the ones below. Simply find a movie or actor you want to see, go to one of the sites below and see if the film is playing in your area. mydigiguide.com, tv-now.com and IMDB.com

Note: These are films that are listed as being on TV THIS WEEK ONLY, this is NOT a list of all the films the cast has done

Scroll down below for more information such as Chat show appearances and TTT 'making-of' specials!

December 13th - Elijah Wood (Frodo) will be on the early morning chat show 'Regis & Kelly'.

Topps TTT Card Collection
Xoanon @ 9:04 pm EST

Ringer Spy Trueogre sends along these great scans from the entire collection of Topps trading cards! Take a look!

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!
Demosthenes @ 5:18 pm EST

TORn staffer Arathorn typed up part of the Mail on Sunday magazine special for our reading enjoyment. Some very interesting RoTK information in this article ... and, of course, spoilers!

You ain't seen nothing yet

The final part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, promises to be the most thrilling, says Karyn Miller (Mail on Sunday reporter, I presume).

When The Return of the King, the final and most spectacular film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is finally released in December next year, it will have been eight years in the making. It promises to provide a fitting finale to the series.

There will only be a few new characters in the first film, including Denethor, the Steward of the Kingdom of Gondor and the father of Boromir, who is played by respected Australian actor John Noble.

"Denethor resents never being king, and Boromir inherited that bitterness," says Noble. "It's what led Boromir to try to steal the Ring in the first film"

When Gondor is besieged by enemy forces, Denethor, who has fallen under Sauron's influence, becomes desperate and deranged.

"It is my job to show the humanity of the man," says Noble. "He is literally driven mad by grief and fear."

Sauron's henchman, the Mouth of Sauron, also makes his first appearance, although his head is covered by a large helment and all that can be seen of his face is his nose and gaping, decomposing jaws.

We may also see more of Sauron himself. "You can't reduce him to being a big guy striding around in black armour, but he cannot be limited to a flaming eye, either," says Jackson.

"The Sauron in the books is sketchy at best, which makes it hard to turn to turn him (sic.) into a screen villain. But imagine not really seeing Darth Vader for all three Star Wars films. You just can't do it."

This is from an old interview we think, see our earlier report here.

Despite such qualms, Jackson has high hopes for The Return of the King.

"The battles will be the biggest you have ever seen," he says. He can make such a claim with confidence thanks to the help of his special effects company, Weta.

"We have poilted a piece of software that allows us to have 200,000 computer-generated extras fight each other," he says.

"You simply press a button, sit back and watch these enormous battles unfold before your eyes."

The incredible effects can be seen during the opening scenes of The Fellowship of the Ring, and again during the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers. However, it is in the concluding chapter of the trilogy that this ground-breaking software will be utilised to create the most incredible effects.

Jackson has already earmarked the film's final scene, which takes place amid the sweeping landscape of the Grey Havens, as his favourite.

"To me, it's a culmination of the entire story; it represents what it is to give and what it is to lose," he says. "That scene is probably the most powerful part of the entire film."

Mail On Sunday TTT Special
Demosthenes @ 7:04 am EST

UK fans should get hold of the Mail on Sunday for its fantastic behind-the-scenes magazine article.

I've tossed together a couple of reports that people have sent in. These are more specific about what goodies you can look forward to.

Warning: There are also some TTT and RoTK rumours. So this might be spoiler territory for some.

From Jon: There are 33 pages (including the ads!!) of stuff, including character bios, and a brilliant map of Helm's Deep showing the stages of the battle, the movement of forces (with story spoilers).

It also gives a strong hint on pages 46-47 of what The Return Of The King will be like with a brief interview with John Noble (Denethor), and Peter Jackson saying "the battles will be the biggest you have ever seen."

Briefly the magazine covers: the main characters, including all the types of forces of darkness (orcs, uruk-hai, bezerkers, and Grishnakh); a profile of Karl Urban; profile of Miranda Otto; creating Gollum; a look at locations in NZ; an interview with PJ; a visit to Weta; Armies of Darkness; and a tour of the battle of Helm's Deep.

The article mentions piloting a new software that will enable up to 200,000 computer generated characters in battle - I guess this is Massive.

Jackson also hints strongly that Sauron will feature as a character in the ROTK, as he says "you can't reduce him to being a big guy striding around in black armour, but he cannot be limited to a flaming eye."

roborambo writes that this quote seems to be from a quite old (pre-filming??) interview that was conducted with Jackson some time ago. You can read it here. Scroll down and read Question Four. Hence this information might not be accurate - it might not even refer to RoTK!

The bonus CD-ROM contains the original teaser, the current theatrical trailer, several dozen photos, and several short documentaries.

From PennyQ: I eagerly awaited the arrival of the paperboy this morning! I ve played the free disc it has the teaser trailer, the long trailer and the trailer for the Extended Edition DVD, plus the picture gallery, wallpapers, screensaver and character info that have been on the official website before, and three behind the scenes movies that give a few new images and info. The magazine has 24 pages of info and pics about Grima, Treebeard, Gollum, Karl Urban, Miranda Otto, Peter Jackson, special effects, the enemy, the Fellowship, Helm s Deep and there s also a competition to win tickets to the premiere in London (closing date Dec 4th)

From Heather: You guys already know about the Mail on sunday special in the UK, well I've just read it and there is a major spoiler for ROTK! According to The Mail on Sunday, PJ has said that the last shot in ROTK is of Valinor, all grey and misty so we must see Frodo leaving.

If it's of Valinor, we must see a little more than the departure from the Grey Havens - which is the last scene with Frodo, Bilbo and Gandalf in the book. Remember that the Grey Havens are not Valinor, only a point of departure to get *to* Valinor. - Dem.

Update: Correction from PW: The article actually says the Grey Havens.

Jackson has already earmarked the film's final scene, which takes place amid the sweeping landscape of the Grey Havens, as his favourite.

"To me, it's a culmination of the entire story; it represents what it is to give and what it is to lose," he says. "That scene is probably the most powerful part of the entire film."

So scotch that Valinor rumour, guys.

Who's Hot? Billy Boyd!
Demosthenes @ 2:43 am EST

Okay, I wander off for a few hours, and everyone digs up the Billy Boyd article from The Scotsman for me! Apparently, the story is that Billy Boyd is the hottest bloke in Scotland right now. Nice work, if you can get it ...

Thanks heaps to the dozens of people who found the article, and e-mailed me.

Update: Carnadacil wrote to remind me know there's also this tiny breakout article that gooes with the larget story. [More]

Who's hot and who's not in Scottish singles charts

CLAIRE SMITH
ONCE upon a time being the heir to the throne guaranteed the No1 spot among Britain's most eligible bachelors.

But a newspaper poll has demoted Prince William to the No3 spot, after an actor who played a hobbit and a famously scruffy publisher.

Ahead of the heir to the throne in Scotland on Sunday's Most Wanted list are elfin-faced Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd and high-flying Edinburgh publisher Jamie Byng.

The No1 eligible female spot has been given to Monarch of the Glen actress Dawn Steele, 27, who is a close friend of male No1 Boyd.

Yesterday, Boyd said they were good friends, but denied there was any chance of a romance which could take them both off the singles list.

"We've known each other far too long for any of that nonsense, but we might go out for a drink together to celebrate," he said. He was "over the moon" to be considered the sexiest man in Scotland and was "amazed to be knocking royalty off the top of the list".

Scotland on Sunday's annual Most Wanted list aims to be the definitive guide to the 100 most eligible single men and women in Scotland.

The list provides potted biographies and relationship histories, and suggests where you might seek out Scotland's top singletons if you fancy a date.

Staff at Canongate Books were stunned to hear that publisher Byng, who lives in jeans and unironed shirts, now ranks higher than Prince William as one of the sexiest men in the land.

But Byng's stock is high at the moment, after Yann Martel's novel The Life of Pi, landed the prestigious Booker prize.

Actors dominate the lists of both men and women, with rising star Steele holding the No1 female slot. Potential suitors are advised to polish up their green wellies, but will have a hard time tracking down Steele, who is heading off to Australia for a break after filming The Key in and around Glasgow.

Happily, age is no barrier in today's fluid singles market. Perennial songstress Lulu may be 54 but she is still rated the second sexiest woman in Scotland. Lulu is believed to have split from Night and Day star Stuart Manning, 32 years her junior.

But anyone planning to make a play for the flame-haired pop star are advised she has the energy to keep them on their toes. Any would-be suitors will have to keep it stylish and be prepared for paparazzi interest in what they have for breakfast.

The researchers say they have spent months compiling the definitive guide to Scotland's most eligible. The celebrities, sports and business people in their Most Wanted list have often been hard to pin down.

A spokesman for Scotland on Sunday said: "Our researchers have been led a merry dance as they've tried to confirm whether certain alleged eligibles are single at all.

"One male entrepreneur was outraged at the suggestion that seeing the same woman for over a year counted as 'a relationship'. A couple of chancers even asked us to give them 24 hours to get rid of their partners.

"Some women proved just as slippery. Several admitted to having a regular boyfriend but thought it didn't really matter. But their greatest worry seemed to be the ranking they'd receive - with some demanding to be removed if they were not in the top 20."

As well as glamorous members of the acting and pop world, the 100 Most Wanted list also features sports men and women, business high-fliers and even the odd politician.

SNP stalwart Roseanna Cunningham makes the list - despite being 51 and married to her job. Potential suitors are advised to swot up on their Star Trek, buy some Australian red wine - and not to expect to win any arguments.

Sweet Sixteen star Martin Compston is one of the youngest to make the list. The 18-year-old, who is about to launch himself in Hollywood, is ranked No4.

Another newcomer - proving the list carries something for everyone - is comedian Rhona Cameron, who shot to prominence in I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

The nation's most eligible

MEN

1 Billy Boyd, actor
2 Jamie Byng, publisher
3 Prince William, student
4 Martin Compston, actor
5 Tony Kearney, actor
6 Des Hamilton, casting director and actor
7 Darius Danesh, singer
8 Sam Heughan, actor
9 Alan Pert, architect
10 John Amabile, designer and TV presenter

WOMEN

1 Dawn Steele, actress
2 Lulu, popstar
3 Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh, actress
4 Emma Redfern, businesswoman
5 Diane Main, artist
6 Emma Richards, yachtswoman
7 Emma Carrick Anderson, skier
8 Rhona Cameron, comedian
9 Mary Forster, architect
10 Kelly Cooper, pub owner

--

Game Technology Stars In 'Rings'
Xoanon @ 8:58 pm EST

By Steven Kent
Special to the Tribune
Published November 30, 2002

In "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first movie in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, audiences had a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure climbing a distant wall. In "The Two Towers," the trilogy's second installment, that distant shadow becomes a vital presence.

Gollum, a degenerate creature corrupted by the ring, is a tangle of deviousness and emotion. He is shorter than a man, yet has disproportionately long limbs and an elongated neck.

"It was important that Gollum be as real as the other characters," said Remington Scott, motion capture supervisor for Weta Ltd., the New Zealand studio where much of the special effects work for the trilogy is created. "He had to be real emotionally, psychologically and physically because Frodo [the ring bearer] is supposed to see himself reflected in Gollum. Motion capture is the only way to do that."

Motion capture is a technology used by video game designers and filmmakers that assigns real movements to computer animated characters. Electronic Arts, for instance, uses motion capture of real professional football players to create movements for the virtual players in its "John Madden NFL" series.

To bring quarterback Kurt Warner to life, game technicians capture his steps, his timing and the way he whips his arms. But bringing Gollum to the screen required something more subtle and exacting: Scott had to capture conversations.

To do this, he worked with actor Andy Serkis, who played both the voice and body of Gollum. "[Director Peter Jackson] hired Andy to come down and do two or three weeks of audio recording for Gollum because they were originally going to animate him," said Scott. But "Pete liked his physicality enough that they kept him on set during production."

The technique captures actors, dressed in black lycra suits studded with reflective white balls, performing scenes in the capture zone. The cameras do not record the actors; rather, they record the movements of the light-reflecting balls. This information is translated into computer data, which are then used to create skeletal models.

Graphic artists then design skins, placed over the skeletons, to create animated characters with realistic movements. Gollum, however, with his unique physique, posed an additional challenge.

"Andy's proportions are very different than Gollum's," said Scott. "Over the years--I think he has been alive for 500 years--Gollum has changed. He has gotten long limbs, a long neck, and grown very thin.

"If we took Gollum and mapped him over Andy, he would move very strangely. We had to retarget Andy's bones into the bone structure of Gollum."

Scott's team did this retargeting on the computer, stretching Serkis' limbs and making him proportionally smaller overall.

For the first film, a 16-camera motion-capture studio was used. But that proved inadequate to create Gollum, so Scott increased it to 24 cameras to create a larger zone.

"When I first came out, we had 16 optical cameras," said Scott, who joined the filming for the second installment, which opens in theaters Dec. 18. "This gave us 5 meters width by 5 meters length with 4 meters height. It was not a large zone. It was very limiting."

Even with the extra cameras, creating motion capture stage versions of the real settings used in the movie was demanding. "There was a scene in which some Hobbits walk down a mountain. Gollum crawls down.

"They actually shot the Hobbits on some hill somewhere in New Zealand, I have no idea where. We had to track their positions in space and the plane of the ground. That way we could put Andy onto a plane that we had to create physically [in the studio]."

Still, Scott's zone was far smaller than a mountain. "We had to build a mountain in four or five pieces," said Scott. "We would have Andy crawl down one portion of the mountain, roll the next one in, and have him crawl on that one.

"Gollum runs around a lot, so we had to create a stage on wheels so that we could reposition the stage within the zone area. That way we could capture Andy, then blend it together later in edit."

Real-time direction

And there was one other requirement. Because Gollum's part was so integral to the success of the movie, Jackson insisted on directing Serkis' motion-capture sessions himself. He could not, however, properly direct scenes in which Gollum speaks with Frodo and others simply by watching Serkis alone in a capture zone.

"It was essential for Peter to see Andy's performance retargeted as Gollum in real time," Scott said. To do this, Jackson watched a monitor instead of Serkis and the zone.

Movements synced with actors

"Peter would look at a visualization monitor the entire time," said Scott. "He would be sitting right next to me, and the stage is right in front of him; but
he's not looking at Andy, he's looking at a monitor.

"What he saw was a fully rendered and retargeted Gollum in real time, but that wasn't enough. He had to see Gollum grounded in the shots, so he could see him in relation to all the other actors and what they were doing."

To do this, the computer superimposed Serkis' data over still plates of scenes from the movie. The image of Gollum was placed in the actual scenes, and Jackson was able to see where he would appear and how his movements synced with the placement of the other actors.

Steven Kent is a freelance writer based in Issaquah, Wash.

Empire Magazine Previews The Two Towers
Demosthenes @ 5:52 am EST

Empire Magazine brought out its January 2003 edition yesterday. The good news for all of us is that it contains a giant 27-page Two Towers preview. Inside you'll discover interviews with both cast and crew - it's great stuff. This edition definitely sets the standard and looks to be the one to collect so far. If you're near a newstand, I'd run out and buy it now if you can!

If you just can't wait, here are some scans below. But like I said, this is definitely collector material!

By the way, you can subscribe to Empire Magazine here. Apparently, they'll be doing another Two Towers round-up after the release of the movie!

Now, extreme languange is contained within - so you have been warned!

Thanks to Ringer Spy Dudley for the scans!

TORN Takes Rare Dolphin Under its Wing
Tehanu @ 5:47 pm EST

For some years now TORN has been donating its excess profits to various charities including the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Our contribution was being channeled towards research on Hector's Dolphin, the smalles - and one of the rarest -dolphins in the world. It may be that research which has led to the re-classification of part of the Hector's Dolphin population, with a better identification of the needs of this most endangered species. The WWF press release follows:

Maui’s dolphin classification a positive step

The classification of the North Island Hector’s dolphin as a separate sub-species, Maui’s dolphin, will strengthen efforts to protect it, according to WWF New Zealand.

"Maui’s dolphin is now officially the world’s rarest marine dolphin", said WWF New Zealand Chief Executive Jo Breese.

"The classification justifies a zero risk management approach; closing the dolphin’s known range to set net fisheries, both recreational and commercial, and fully enforcing that ban. This must include all harbours and river mouths."

"WWF hopes the Minister of Fisheries will quickly announce complete protection measures, which are long overdue."

"In particular, it is crucial that the Minister restricts trawling and Danish seining; this is not currently included in MFish’s protection plans."

"The summer fishing season has already started, and that is when Maui’s dolphins are most at risk of capture. Three died last summer under partial and largely unenforced protection measures. This cannot be allowed to happen again."

"Maui’s dolphin can no longer be considered as one of four populations of Hector’s dolphin; we expect to see more government effort directed towards protecting it."

Media Watch: Asia's 'First' Magazine
Xoanon @ 3:07 pm EST

An Asian movie magazine called "First" has a Lord of the Rings special for its December issue. The magazine is worth every penny since it's only $3.90 and also includes a rather large poster for TTT.

Media Watch: Arena Magazine Talks To Elijah Wood
Xoanon @ 2:10 pm EST

Maddelena x writes: I am writing to let you know that Arena Magazine (Its a British Men's Mag) are currently running a massive article in their 29th November Edition There is a large bit On The Two Towers, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen. The Interviews are fantastic and the Pictures are stunning. Here is the interview with Elijah and there is also one picture of Elijah from within the Magazine.

Arena Interview : Elijah Wood

A year ago Elijah Wood was tripping out. He was gagging for a drink and almost delirious with excitement. He and some friends had just been to see a film, you see, and it was a good one. "When we got out of the screening we didn't know whet to say," he recalls. "We knew we loved it, but we didn't know how to articulate it. It left us speechless."

He and a select band of other actors, family members and agents had, in fact, just been privy to one of the first screenings of The lord of the Rings; Fellowship of the Ring in a tiny projection room in the LA headquarters of New Line Film, the studio which bankrolled the multi-million pound project. And it had gone down rather well. "It's difficult to impart to people what it was like," says Wood. "We spent 15 months in New Zealand working on this three-part film, and to see one third of that documented is like seeing your life flash before your eyes. So much of it that we hadn't seen, there were elements of it that we had no idea about."

Twelve months on and the first instalment of The Rings trilogy has flashed before the eyes of a fair few around the world, raking in more than $850m. Elijah isn't working today. He's doing what he does fairly regularly when he's not on set: meeting up with some friends, with a vague notion to catch a film sometime later. It was the same thing yesterday: he caught The Ring, starring Naomi Watts (the new take on the Japanese horror favourite, Ringu), for the second time in Elijah's case. Amongst the trailers was the second three-minute promo for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Elijah Wood, the 21 year-old from Iowa who plays Frodo Baggins, the Ring-bearer, the hobbit destined to save Middle-earth and the owner of the most famous bare feet since Zola Budd, felt that slightly sickening thrill of anticipation in the base of his stomach. Around the world, folk are gearing up for round two. "it was just amazing," he says. "I'm excited beyond words. The first one was a fucking stunning movie, but I know what's coming. The Two Towers has the potential to be a better film." And before you ask, no he hasn't seen it yet. That happens in three weeks, and he's counting the days.

ELIJAH WOOD WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD the first time he acted professionally. Having been put forward for modelling by him mother after she noted her son's hyperkinetic energy, his first gig was playing an "executive" ina a vidio for Paula Abdul's single "Forever Your Girl", directed by a wetbehind-the -ears David Fincher. That led to a string of films where Elijah played the wide-eyed kid, in things like Back To The Future Part II, The Good Son alongside Macaulay Culkin and with Mel Gibson in Forever Young. As his acting kudos grew, so too did the roles: alongside Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire and Sigourney Weaver in The Ice Storm and Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact. On the set of The Faculty, filmed in Austin, Texas, with Josh hartnett, he met Harry Knowles, the ultimate film geek, creator of movie gossip site Ain't It Cool News (and Arena contributing editor), who first mentioned the F word. "I remember it very clearly, "Elijah recalls. "Harry said 'They're making Lord Of The Rings into film,' Peter Jackson is going to direct it, and you have to play Frodo."

It wasn't until a year later that casting began and, after more than 200 English unkowns had auditioned for Frodo (Jackson initially wanted someone with no "baggage" but with, apparently, an English accent, so they were duly inudated with Tom, Dick and Harrys from all over our fair isle), Elijah sent a video tape in the post. He and a friend, the director George Huang (Swimming with Sharks), had hired some costumes from a local fancy dress store and filmed themselves prancing through some woods giving it up, hobbit-style. It was clearly convincing. The tape earned him a meeting with Jackson in early 1999 and Elijah got the happy news in late July.

The Lord Of The Rings throws up plenty of metaphors one could draw on for the pupose of, say, a magazine profile, especially concerning Elijah's role. His description of how he literally got into character by "putting on my feet" (the hobbits all wore large hairy latex prosthetic feet, which involved them standing for an hour every morning at 5am as the sock-like props were glued to their soles) can be applied to his task of becoming Frodo during the 15-month shoot in New Zealand. "I went through periods of not wanting to put the feet on," he admits "Just before our first break for Christmas 1999, work was grtting particularly difficlt and I'd be coming to work, sitting around in my feet, feeling tried. For that period it was so exhausting I found it very difficult to get the energy up to do it." You could also, at a push, see Frodo's journey from carefree child-man hobbit, full of trust and frivolity, to the drained and withered protector of the greater good, as rather symbolic of Elijah's own transformation during shooting, with the burden of New Line's multi-million pound epic around his neck like some glossy, CGI-underpinned albatross. "That's exactly it," he sportingly agrees. "We began with that romance period of finding these great friends, and everybody's jazzed, then reality sets in and everybody's exhausted. We shot horribly out of sequence but as the shooting wore on one could draw on the reality of the situation. The more exhausted your character is - certainly with Frodo - the more the parallel is there. I think that's why the film feels authentic as it does, as we wer going through those things."

For The Two Towers, when the Fellowship splits and Frodo journeys to Mordor in the company of fellow hobbit, Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), and Gollumhttp://theonering.net/movie/char/smeagol.html, the insidious amphibious creature whose life is bound by the Ring, Wood spent weeks filming solely with Astin and Andy Serkis, who plays Gollumhttp://theonering.net/movie/char/smeagol.html. "It was an interesting process," he says of the shooting with what will be totally CGI realised character. "Andy would come on in a tight-fitting green costume and totallybeat himself to hell, whch was fantastic for Sean and me because we actually got to work with him as an actor - we had Gollumhttp://theonering.net/movie/char/smeagol.html on set."

WOOD IS EASY COMPANY - RELAXED, content and intelligent. Curiously, during conversation his accent and vocabulary flits between American and a cross-breed of New Zealand and British patiois. He'll pepper his speech with the occasional "wicked" and, when asked about the bar where the cast spent much of their feer time on the shoot, he replies, "Oh it's a lovely place" in much the same manner you'd expect from an upper class uncle. He has a commendable enthusiasm for swearing, though his fondness for the more colourful bon-mot has waned since Arena caught up with him 12 months ago. Reminding him of that sparks off all manner of reminiscence. " It was just spending all of that time with brits and Aussies," he insists. "The word 'Cunt' came up quite a lot. I was fascinated by that and how it could become not so dirty. It's one of the few swear words that still shock people. Is that why you called Cate Blanchett "Her Cuntliness? "Not my creation," he pleads, " She was called that by Viggo Mortensen. I put the blame on him. It was used during the making of the movie and seems a bit silly now."

Enlarging the profanisaurous aside, the inner circle of the cast got on famously, going so far as physically marking their bond for posterity. The nine members of the Fellowship got tattoos of the Elvish word for nine, the language Tolkien invented for his fantasy epic. Ask nicely and Elijah might show you his, etched onto his stomach where others might bare an appendix scar. It looks like a Celtic figure, a dark V with two quater-circles in the middle. Not to feel left out, Peter Jackson later got the Elvish "ten" carved into his back. If you have got this far, and have still yet to see the first part of the LOTR saga, you may yet have clocked Elijah recently appearing unannounced on another of this year's great cultural achievements, MTV's The Osbournes. It turns out that his younger sister, Hannah, is friends with Jack Osbourne, and over time Elijah met and befriended Ozzy Jr, and , of course Kelly. They found a mutual hobby in throwing up devil signs in the front row of a variety of rock gigs and rapport was forged. Just in passing, let it be known that Wood is a music fan of spectacular proportions. Get him started on any subject in that field and, with the addition of food and water, the pair of you would be set for many a day without the need for additional stimulus. In the space of ten minutes he will deconstruct the success of The Strokes, display an embarrassing knowledge of The Vines demo material, argue both for and against Pop idol as a phenomenon and enthuse over Boards of Canada and Squarepusher. "We went to a Zwan show, which is Billy Corgan's new band," says Wood, as we return to the Osbourne experience, "and afterwards we went back to the house, and they filmed us all hanging out. They have cameras there for 24 hours, every day," he says, by now a mixture of fan-boy geek and incredulous observer. "it was weird, but it's amazing how quick you forget about them. it was my first and probably only experience of reality television." there won't be an Elijah Wood show then? "Fuck no. No thank you. I don't want people to be following me around when I wake up. I want my fucking life! I have a lot of respect, I guess, for people who handle it. When I saw it I thought it was wicked to be a part of it. But they left a bunch of things out. We made grilled cheese sandwiches and ramon noodles and they didn't show that." Such are the perils of International stardom that one's culinary expertise may be overlooked. Despite this, Wood talks endearingly about the closeness of the Osbourne family, perhaps because in some ways their unique familial sensibilities mirror his own. Despite his parents divorce when he was six (Elijah now has no relationship with his father), the remaining Wood family is what the American hip hop fraternity would call "tight". Elijah still lives with his mum. "I'm away for such long periods, its great to come home. I've been thinking I should go on vacation more, but being on vacation for me is being at the house." What does take him away from home with such regularity is, of course, his filming commitments. There are pickups to be done for the remaining LOTR film, The Return Of The King, as well as the upcoming Thumbsucker, with Vincent D'onofrio and Tilda Swinton. "It's about this kid who still sucks his thumb at 19, and his orthodontist puts him under hypnosis so he can't gain any comfort from it anymore, and moves him from one aural fetish to the next," he explains. 2It's a great serious story told through an hilarious perspective."

There are others to come, as you'd expect from one his age and with his current bankability. Try seventeen is a smart teen movie about a 17-year-old who inherits cash and a collage scholarshipfrom his grandfather, but drops out of school, buys a flat in a dorm and has "experiences" with his other tenants. Maybe we're not selling it to well. "It's actually very, very funny," insists Wood with a smaile. "It's really refreshing to do something like this after coming off something like Rings. Something more intimate,

more focused." You sense that dispite having a year to get used to it Elijah Wood is still dealing with the level of fame Frodo Baggins has given him. "I'm much more recognisable now," he says. "It's every time I go out. But I don't change my life to avoid it. It's all positive." So who comes up to you now? Geeks? "No, you get fans of the book, you get scool girls, people in their 30s and 40s." but you've got to appreciate one sector's interest more than another, no? He laughs, but entirely without ego. "Attention from women is never ever a bad thing," he says. It's been interesting."

Elijah is somehow both awestruck and unphased about his status in the canon of young girls fantasy figures. Certainly, his is far from the obnoxious brat persona you suspect most 21 year olds would adopt in his position. Wood seems to be able to enjoy what is happening to him, without being caught up in the foolishness that often surrounds this kind of experience.

Now though Elijah Wood has to run. He's got his friends to catch up with, and, if you recall, there are films to be seen. As he prepares to leave, he relates a string of recent experiences he has had with fans, and despite yourself, you're rather touched......

"I get people come up to me," he says, getting up,

" and they say, 'man it's you, it's fucking Frodo.

I can't wait to see the next movie.

' Me too.'

'have you not seen it yet?'

'No, i'm still waiting as well. I'm just like you........ "

Poland TTT Cards
Xoanon @ 1:57 pm EST

"The lord of the rings -The two towers" soundtrack will be available in Poland at shops right at the beginning of next week.

The music is composed by the same Howard Shore who is the soundtrack author of "The lord of the rings. The Fellowship of the Ring". As we all know the movie won an Oscar reward for the best soundtrack. The record Polish premiere is set for December, 2nd although in U.S it's going to be almost a week later. This means when it comes to the soundtrack we are by far better than Americans themselves. However, the American movie premiere is planned for 18.12. 2002 when Polish is schemed for 31.01.2002.

To see the collector's cards issued with every CD follow this link. [More]

The plot of the first 10 minutes of TTT!
Arathorn @ 1:12 pm EST

Our Spanish-language community member Elfenomeno.com has an amazing scoop - an anonymous spy report detailing the first 10 minutes of the Two Towers scene by scene. There is but one catch - the original article is in Spanish (and perhaps already translated from English).

Update: At the very bottom is our original - and very hasty - translation by means of Babelfish, but we're very pleased to now be able to offer you a far better translation courtesy of our fantastic Ringer Spies!

The Two Towers begins with an imposing panoramic shot of the Misty Mountains. The camera crosses their steep peaks and, little by little, a voice starts to be audible in the distance. The camera approaches closer and closer to the mountains, and finally goes inside. Then you know that the voice in the distance is that of Gandalf. We enter the mountain and arrive at the bridge of Khazad-dûm at the scene of the fight with the Balrog! Ian McKellen was right about how the movie begins.

Then, we return to see the sequence of the Fellowship of the Ring in which Gandalf falls into the chasm with the Balrog. But this time, we do not follow the Fellowship as it flees from Moria - but we instead see Gandalf and the Balrog as they fall into the chasm whilst they continue fighting. The sequence finishes without showing us the defeat of the Balrog at this moment (I suppose that the defeat of the Balrog is narrated by means of a flashback, just as Gandalf's escape from Orthanc was in the first film - although this just a guess).

The scene is so impressive, 'deafening' ("astonishing" in English... if the translation is not ideal). An explosive beginning (in the manner of Hitchcock). It leaves you glued to your seat and shaking and wondering whether you will survive the rest of the film...

Despite all of that, we cut to Frodo and Sam entering the Emyn Muil - and already, without delay, Gollum finally appears. This sequence tells how they catch and Gollum and subsequent events (we have already seen something like this in the trailer) as they decide to take Gollum with them. I cannot tell you more, as I'd prefer that you see Gollum for yourselves (in all seriousness: he(the insider) did not say anything on the subject of Gollum, I swear it)

I seem to remember that this comes before a brief sequence that shows Merry and Pippin being carried by the Uruks - as Pippin drops his broach as a signal for his friends.

Then there is also a scene in Isengard - but not necessarily in this order. One would think that I am a professional and have seen many films - but now I must clear my mind carefully to try to remember what I saw correctly. Saruman, who has already created a terrible army of Uruk-Hai, orders his followers to attack the plains of Men. And later there is a scene in which Uruks devastate a town of the Rohirrim and some of the humans try to flee towards Edoras.

There you have it! We received more than a dozen different translations, all very similar. This particular one was courtesy of Ringer Spy Kristina, who was first to the punch. Nevertheless, on behalf of TORn, I'd like to thank everyone who wrote in and helped us out. We couldn't do it without our spies!

Below is our original babelfish-inspired translation for anyone who wishes to compare. The spanish article can be found at Elfenomeno.com. [More].

The Two Towers begins with an imposing panoramic shot of the Misty Mountains. The camera crosses their steep peaks and, little by little, a voice starts to be audible in the distance. The camera approaches closer and closer to the mountains, and finally goes inside. Then you know that the voice in the distance is that of Gandalf. We enter the mountain and arrive at the bridge of Khazad-dûm at the scene of the fight with the Balrog! Ian McKellen was in the same place as when he was last seen in FoTR.
Then, we return to see the sequence of the Fellowship of the Ring in which Gandalf falls into the chasm with the Balrog. But this time, we do not follow the Fellowship as it flees from Moria - but we instead see Gandalf and the Balrog as they fall into the chasm whilst they continue fighting. The sequence finishes without showing us the defeat of the Balrog at this moment (I suppose that the defeat of the Balrog is narrated by means of a flashback, just as Gandalf's escape from Orthanc was in the first film - although this just a guess).
The scene is so impressive, 'deafening' ("astonishing" in English... if the translation is not ideal). An explosive beginning (in the manner of Hitchcock). It leaves you glued to your seat and shaking and wondering whether you will survive the rest of the film...
Despite all of that, we cut to Frodo and Sam entering the Emyn Muil - and already, without delay, Gollum finally appears. This sequence tells how they catch and Gollum and subsequent events (we have already seen something like this in the trailer) as they decide to take Gollum with them. I cannot tell you more, as I'd prefer that you see Gollum for yourselves (in all seriousness: I cannot tell you more about the appearance of Gollum, in light of non-disclosure agreements(?)).
I seem to remember that this comes before a brief sequence that shows Merry and Pippin being carried by the Uruks - as Pippin drops his broach as a signal for his friends.
Then there is also a scene in Isengard - but not necessarily in this order. I am a professional and have seen many films - but now I must clear my mind carefully to try to remember what I saw correctly. Saruman, who has already created a terrible army of Uruk-Hai, orders his followers to attack the plains of Men. And later there is a scene in which Uruks devastate a town of the Rohirrim and some of the humans try to flee towards Edoras.

McKellen Works On Canadian Film
Xoanon @ 1:02 pm EST

April writes: Yesterday VIland news here in Victoria reported that Ian McKellan was filming a small independent film, might've been called "Emile", somewhere in Greater Victoria.

It is by a Canadian filmmaker based in Vancouver, but he decided that it was too crowded over there. Talk about understatements. Sir Ian plays a guy who goes back to, England to face his past.

Plus, I heard from a reliable source today that yesterday (Wednesday) he was filming a pickup scene for X-Men 2 right outside of St. Anne's Academy (which resembles the Xavier school and is somewhere along #1 bus route). It's causing quite a stir here at film school.

(Read more about this and X2 in my exclusive interview with Ian from BC coming soon! - Xo)

Tolkien's Eleventy-One Birthday Party!
Calisuri @ 12:22 pm EST

On January 3rd Tolkien fans around the world are invited to host or attend birthday gatherings, visit the cinema and/or raise a glass and toast the 111th birthday, 'Eleventy-One' in hobbit parlance, of this much loved author at 9pm (local times) in a grand rolling celebration.

The Tolkien Society and Josh Rubinstein are launching webpages (http://www.tolkiensociety.org/toast & http://www.lordofthedonuts.net/tolkien111) where well-wishers and party organisers can register details. Details of cinemas showing The Two Towers can be found there also. For those not near a party, other fans or a cinema (or who are quiet and hobbit-like) there is the opportunity to simply join in and raise a toast, either by registering their name online or just by knowing that it is going on across the globe. These webpages will allow Tolkien fans world wide to let other fans know where they will be celebrating, or what particular tipple they'll be raising. Fans will be able to check the webpage and see who is celebrating where and if they wish to join in. These pages are partially live at press, with some extra features to be added shortly.

Chris Crawshaw, the Chair of the Tolkien Society, which has members in 43 countries said "I'm looking forwards to raising a glass of single malt to the memory of the Professor and in fellowship with fans around the world".

Josh Rubinstein will be overseeing arrangements for his Birthday DVD project which will be celebrating these parties. It will be based on footage sent in from the parties to create a unique documentary of Tolkien fandom. This is to include a section for birthday messages from fans, plus fan art, and more.

Many cinemas in the UK and Ireland have already signed up giving details of special party showings of New Line Cinema & Peter Jackson's The Two Towers. Other film distributors and Cinema managers are invited to register with details of their cinema and prices on the webpages provided.

Data Protection & Legal Information
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LoTR Gets Trivial
Demosthenes @ 4:24 am EST

From Fellowship Elf: Just thought I'd send this along. The new 20th anniversary edition of Trivial Pursuit (over the last 20 years) has 3 LOTR questions. Sadly not at many as say, Shrek, Harry Potter or O.J. Simpson, but still 3 is good. They are:

Under the Film category:

Q: What movie did Frank De Caro describe as "a three-hour epic about returning bad jewelry"?
A: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Q: What was the first feature-film trilogy to be shot concurrently with the same cast?
A: The Lord of the Rings

From the Literature category:

Q: What trilogy was "book of the millennium," in an Amazon.com reader poll?
A: The Lord of the Rings

And well I could have thought of much better trivia questions, you must give them credit for trying. We're moving up in the gaming world, I don't recall any LOTR questions in earlier Trivial Pursuit games!

Update: Both Khaled and The Scribe have written to assure me that previous editions of Trivial Pursuit included the odd LoTR questions. So these news Qs are just continuing a long treadition, I guess!

How's This For A Hat-trick?!
Demosthenes @ 12:11 am EST

Okay, the pun will make more sense to those in the UK, New Zealand, or Australia, but read on anyway. This excellent article from the November 2002 edition of Animation Magazine delves into the mysteries behind the movie magic at Bag End. And if you haven't scene the Extended Edition DVD backgrounders, you might be in for a surprise ...

Thanks to Ringer Spy bluelily17 for sending in the scans!

11-28-02 Latest News

Happy Thanksgiving from TheOneRing.net!
Flinch @ 11:00 pm EST

Now across America fans from Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Lord of the Rings are breaking bread together in harmony, belts are loosed a notch or two, shirts are removed from their careful tucking, and dishes pile up for Grandma. Yes folks, it's Thanksgiving, a day where we all take time to look at all that we have in our lives to be thankful for.

Personally, I have been touched by this site, and have more than I could ever say to be Thankful for. TheOneRing.net has been a home for me since March of last year, just before our Oscar Party. Since my time at this site began I have been gifted with opportunities and experiences that will forever shape my life. The Oscar Party, for instance, put together by one of the many unsung Hero's from TheOneRing.net Asfaloth. This was my first experience with this group of wonderful people. Beyond that, I was lucky enough to have met a very wonderful woman at this Oscar Party, whom as of October 10th 2002 I have married. We would have never even met had it not been for this wonderful group of people who put their heart and soul into making this the one source for Tolkien fans on the net.

Beyond that I want to take some time to acknowledge some of the other wonders that I have witnessed during my short time at TheOneRing. Watching Xoanon and his SpyReporters go to work for hours each day ensuring all of the existing Tolkien news is up to date, or Jincey and her tight knit Ops from Barliman's who ensure the fans of The Lord of the Rings have a safe and fun place to enjoy their fandom. The Staff of Green Books who dedicate their intellectual know-how into bringing you in-depth looks at J.R.R. Tolkien's works. Even down to Lewman and the crew from The Bastards have Landed who bring you the latest news on everyone's favorite Bree Drunk; Peter Jackson. Beyond any of these names I think I am most thankful for Corvar, Calisuri, Arathorn, and Tinuviel who dedicate pain staking hours staring at code and console commands making sure our servers stay running and our web site has automated functions like Polls, Forums, and Contest Pages. This staff of 50+ individuals dedicate their lives to making this THE place for Tolkien fans worldwide, and for all of their efforts, past present and future, I am thankful.

So as you check your daily news post as to what Orlando Bloom is up to, or what changes may have been made to optimize the story for The Two Towers take a second to be thankful for all of these people who made this all possible, from founders Xoanon, Tehanu, Corvar, and Calisuri down through the Senior Staff and the grunts like me!

Happy Thanksgiving!
- Flinch

Media Watch: Alistair Browning is Damrod
Demosthenes @ 4:32 pm EST

The Age recently tracked down Alistair Browning who plays the part of Damrod (Faramir's second in command) in the Two Towers. Thanks to JD for finding the story.

The Culture
TAKE TWO - ALISTAIR BROWNING
By Debi Taylor

In the New Zealand drama Rain, Alistair Browning plays Ed, a loving husband and father whose marriage is collapsing around him. A professional actor since 1976, Browning's television credits include Hercules, and Xena: Warrior Princess, and he can also be seen as Damrod in the next instalments of The Lord of the Rings.

What is your favourite black and white movie?

A cliche it may be, but Casablanca is still my fave.

If you could play any character in movie history, who would it be?

Sam Spade.

What is the best stage-to-film adaptation you've ever seen?

Chorus of Disapproval.

What's the naughtiest thing you've ever done in a movie theatre?

I do it every time, have a choc-dip icecream!

If you weren't an actor what would you be?

Very unhappy!

What would you like to do in a film that you haven't done before?

I've played villains, victims and heroes, I've been nude, rude and refined, but only in theatre and TV have I played comedy.

What is the best way to kill time on a movie set?

During Rain I learnt to meditate. Truly. It not only makes time fly but it prepares you very well for the next scene because you arrive refreshed and in a calm and empty space without preconceptions.

Who do you think should stop making movies?

Bill Paxton, Minnie Driver, Robin Williams, Sandra Bullock, Paul Verhoeven . . . ah hell, Hollywood.

If you were sent to a desert island with a DVD player, TV and power, what movie would you take?

The Wrong Trousers or preferably a DVD with all of the Wallace and Gromit films on it.

Most frightening moment on set?

First day on set on Lord of the Rings second unit on a large plain in Central Otago with hundreds of other horsmen in full battle mode. I am supposed to leap to my horse in front of the charging horde and gallop off with Faramir (David Wenham). Take One with several cameras rolling my horse decides he's had enough and refuses to let me mount. Five hundred horsemen charging right at me, eyes wide and rolling, and I have to leg it as fast as I can go!

When was the last time you cried at the movies?

Don't often cry at the movies because I am too aware of the artifice, but I remember being very moved by The Ice Storm.

Who has been your favourite co-star?

Elijah Wood is a very special person as were Alicia and Aaron who play the children in Rain. But I do have very fond memories of Tom Conti in Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. He was extraordinarily generous as an actor and person.

Your career highlight so far?

Rain, without a doubt. Loved doing Lord of the Rings, but the subtlety and intimacy of Rain suited me to a T. Rain is now showing at Nova.

'The Magazine' Goes Geek
Xoanon @ 1:46 pm EST

chyna writes: The children/adolescent Canadian magazine will be having a Lord of the Rings Special! It's for their new December issue.

It'll be out in the first week of December, in Canadian supermarkets (like Dominion, Safeway) for about $2.95 (Cdn). I'm not sure if they sell them down in USA, but I know some libraries do have a subscription to it.

Some of their articles include:

* LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS!
* HOBBIT TALK: The Mag interviews Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry).
* EA Games' LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS game!
* THE TWO TOWERS in TORONTO: A look at the recent LotR ROM exhibit

Here's their website, though they didn't officially change the issue part just yet. But you can view the new issue cover! [More]

Hama? Is That You?
Xoanon @ 1:02 pm EST

writes: I don´t know if this is new, but the same company that produces the surprise eggs in Germany has also chocolate bars with stickers on it and there is a picture of Hama, the first I have seen so far.

Well there can be no doubt that it is indeed John Leigh behind that make-up!

And Some More On RingCon...
leo @ 6:20 am EST

For those who missed it: this past weekend the biggest Lord of the Rings-convention up to date, RingCon 2002, took place in Germany, and here are some more reports and pictures!

You can look at some nice pictures of the event here, but keep in mind they are sometimes a bit 'blurry'. Thanks to TarTelperien for taking and uploading these!

Rafer emailed me again saying she nowbegan transcribing parts of the panel-sessions that took place and uploading some pictures. I don't know how far she is at the moment but yesterday she had a fair bit up from the Mark Ferguson panel on friday. Her website can be found here!

And another great report with pictures can be found here and was written by fozzer!

11-27-02 Latest News

LOTR TTT Coin Set
Xoanon @ 7:56 pm EST

Sony_Mouse

It's Sony_Mouse from Toronto (we met at Playdium when you were here last, I was the odd one who brought the Elven 'ears ;)

Anyways, I'm here with some scans of the LOTR TTT Coin set. I noticed you already had the ones from last year scanned, but whoever scanned them didn't scan the cute stickers that come with them.

So I'm sending you scans of the TTT Coins, the stickers from that set, the stickers from the FOTR set, and an example of the Back of the coin (which is the same for both sets) that has 'One ring to rule them all' script written on it.

Here's a link to where you can buy the Coin set of:

Fellowship of the Ring

Two Towers

Media Watch: Virgin Trains Hotline Magazine
Xoanon @ 1:58 pm EST

Trueogre writes:

This is a Virgin Trains Magazine called Hotline, that's available free on all Virgin Trains.

Media Watch: Telescope Magazine
Xoanon @ 1:37 pm EST

Ringer Spy milaya sends along these scans from Telescope Magazine, the first about fantasy flicks in theatres and cable which mentions Lord of the Rings. There is also a companion interview with Julian Birkett, the director to Tolkien: Master of Middle Earth.

I Want My MTV!
Xoanon @ 1:26 pm EST

Lea writes: In case you haven't checked tvguide.com recently, I just found this new listing for an MTV Movie House Special on The Two Towers.

MONDAY DEC. 9 @ 8:00 pm
TUESDAY DEC. 10 @ 1:30 pm
WEDNESDAY DEC. 11 @ 10:00 pm
THURSDAY DEC. 12 @ 5:00 pm

LOTR Conventions In Italy
Xoanon @ 1:20 pm EST

Robert sends in word on a few Tolkien related events in Italy. The big one, called "Images from the Middle Earth", will open in Rome in January, 2003. It was showcased in Riccione last summer. The Press Release features all the talent expected to be at the event.

"Under the sponsorship of the Government's Premiership and the Ministry of Communications, Arteventi, society for the creation of cultural events, and the Italian Tolkienian Society will bring to Italy the best international show concerning fantasy never carried out in the last decades. The event includes more than 120 original items by:

Angus Mcbride (SA), Ted Nasmith(CA), Roger Garland (UK), Brothers Hildebrandt (USA), Alan Lee (UK), Lode Claes (BE), Rob Alexander (USA), Luca Michelucci (IT), Anton Spazzapan (SLO), Angelo Montanini (IT), Pascal Yung (FR), Tony Galuidi (UK), Capucine Mazille (FR), Mikel Janin (SP), Patrick Gely (FR), Ivan Cavini (IT), Anke K. Eissmann (GE), April Lee (USA), Stephen Walsh (UK), Randy Asplund (USA), David Wyatt (UK), Roger Thomasson (SW), Carrel Douglas (USA), Danny Staten (USA), Timoleon Kouimtzoglou (GR), Maura Boldi (IT), Ed Beard Jr.(USA), Maria Distefano (IT), Diego Iaconfcic (KR), Michael Rudin (SW), Giovanni Giurco (IT), Peter Gaber (KR)".

Robert aslo writes: I received a press release of another exhibition, this time entirely dedicated to the acclaimed Italian illustrator Maria Di Stefano, who will present 50 of her works in Merano, between December 7th and 31st. You can admire 3 paintings of her clicking at this page. [More]

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