8-26-04 Latest News

LOTR Films Lead to International Fundraising Efforts by Fans
maegwen @ 6:03 pm EST

Two New Zealand projects are to benefit from an international fundraising project by fans of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) films.

The fundraising has helped kick off Wellington City Council's commemorative tree scheme, and will also provide more than US$800 to the organ donation awareness group GiveLife.

Coordinator Stephanie Blevins, in the United States, says the fundraising was a way for LOTR fans on the website TheOneRing.net (TORN) to say thank you to Peter Jackson for creating such a successful film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's book.

"We just wanted to thank Peter Jackson so much for making these films. The fans are such wonderful and giving people and they saw this as a great opportunity to show their appreciation in a tangible way.

"The response has been incredible. Fans from around the world have contributed to the fundraising, which shows you just how widely the films have touched people," says Stephanie.

Wellington City Council's commemorative tree scheme was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the fundraising as a salute to Professor Tolkien, who was an avowed environmentalist. Eleven kauri trees will be planted in Willowbank Park in Tawa, at 2pm on September 2 - the 11 trees comprise nine for the 'Fellowship of the cast and crew' of the films, and one each for Peter Jackson and Professor Tolkien (while also honouring the 11-Oscar sweep of The Return of the King).

The GiveLife foundation was chosen as Peter Jackson has publicly supported the issue of organ donation in New Zealand.

Erica Challis, the Kiwi co-founder of TORN, says the fundraising is an example of how the Internet can enable people who are widely separated by distance to collaborate on projects that are dear to their hearts, and she congratulates the fans for their initiative.

"As a Tolkien website, we're aware of the Professor's love of trees and his distress at the way urban development comes so often at the expense of many beautiful old trees. So there's no question he would have approved of a tree-planting effort in his honour.

"As for organ donation, Peter Jackson has known a number of people to whom this is a life or death issue, and we applaud his efforts to help publicise the problem with low donor rates in New Zealand. It's a problem that doesn't need to exist, and wouldn't exist if there were more awareness of the organ donation process."

Says Andy Tookey of GiveLife: "I'm extremely grateful for the support and generosity that LOTR fans have contributed to the cause of helping save lives in New Zealand. With their support we have been able to advance the cause quite significantly in recent times."

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast says she is delighted that Wellington City Council’s commemorative tree programme was chosen as a beneficiary of the LOTR international fundraising project.

“This is a very generous gesture and we thank the fans for it. As this is the very first commemorative tree planting it is very special. It is honouring one of Wellington’s most loved sons, Peter Jackson, while at the same time commemorating Professor Tolkien. We, in Wellington, are very proud of our association with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The trees will be planted at Willowbank Park and I am sure this park will become another very popular LOTR site for tourists and residents to visit,” she says.

Since the release of the LOTR movies, fans have travelled to New Zealand to see for themselves the places where key scenes were filmed. Both Stephanie and Erica expect the kauri trees in Willowbank Park to attract fans from TORN who wish to see what their fundraising efforts have achieved.

Says Erica: "The way Tolkien wrote, the way Peter Jackson's team made the movies, the way Lord of the Rings fandom developed, and the way TheOneRing.net was developed by enthusiasts: these are all things that were done out of a sense of fun and sheer delight in being creative. All things that people did from following their own inclinations – and yet they've given an enormous amount of benefit and pleasure to millions of people. One should never underestimate the power of creative joy."

This Weekend: Fellowship Festival-Weekend!
leo @ 11:11 am EST

This weekend all things LOTR will gather around Alexandra Palace in London, UK for what promises to be a weekend of great fun and exciting events. If you haven't done so already: get your tickets now! If you need some more convincing, check out the latest update from the organisers and head over to www.aaaevents.co.uk! See you there!

There are only two days to go to The Fellowship Festival and while it is pretty hectic here at Festival Towers, we just wanted to give you a quick update.

We have just been informed by Karl Urban's agent that Karl has recently won a new film role which means that Karl will only be appearing at The Fellowship Festival this year so alongside Bernard Hill, Karl is now a worldwide event exclusive. We are very honoured to have both gentlemen join us at the show both have told us that they can't wait to meet you all.

The event schedule has now been finalised. Due to last minute changes the full programme will be available when you arrive. We have organised question and answer sessions with the cast and crew that are held throughout the day and are repeated every day so you won't miss out on a thing.

Some of the cast will be showcasing their special talents, check the schedule for times. Come and watch them strut their stuff; they have worked really hard to offer you a really new experience, a chance for you to see them in a new light.

The Tolkien Society have worked incredibly hard to give us many workshops and seminars where you can appreciate the works of Tolkien and Peter Jackson, huge thanks go to Ian and the team for all their hard work.

We are honoured to announce that Sarah McLeod will be singing "Into the West" exclusively at The Fellowship Feast. If you haven't already got your ticket for the most memorable night of the year, you can buy it at the show from our stand.

Gino Acevedo from Weta Workshop will be transforming a lucky visitor into an orc before your very eyes every single day. We can't wait to see the results.

The final touches to Mark Ferguson's new comedy play "The Lord of The Rings 4: Return of The Towering Fellowship" have been finalised and we are looking forward to seeing Mark and some of the other cast members have us in fits of laughter.

EA GAMES are bringing one of their producers to The Festival who will talk to you about how they went about making the films into a game. Essential attendance for those of you who enjoy gaming. Don't forget that they will also be demonstrating for the very first time, their brand new LOTR games, which are not being released until November.

For those of you who enjoy collecting, you can purchase exclusive items only available at the show and no-where else in the world brought to you by our friends at Cards Inc. You can also purchase official merchandise from our many exhibitors onsite.

Don't forget, every Festival Ticket holder will be entered into a prize draw to win a holiday for two to New Zealand courtesy of our friends at Red Carpet Tours.

There is so much more that you can do at The Fellowship Festival, we sincerely hope that you make the most of the weekend, you enjoy all the activities that have been organised and have a wonderful time. We are very proud to be involved in such an amazing experience and look forward to seeing you all.

That's not all folks, we still have some surprises up our sleeves...

Warmest wishes

The Fellowship Festival Team

Two great events coming up for Ringers in the LA area!
Celeborn @ 1:08 am EST

Continuing the tradition started two years ago, TORn is pleased to announce the third edition of our Annual Baggins Birthday Picnic, which will take place on Sunday September 19th, 2004, from noon to 6pm in Griffith Park, on the picnic grounds near the Carousel (those of you who attended last year will probably remember the spot - for the newbies, we'll post directions shortly).

As always, costuming is highly encouraged, and there will be contests, games, great prizes and lots of fun!

As this is a potluck event, please contact Arwen at arwen@theonering.net to let her know what items you will be contributing - and check the news page in the next few days for more details about the picnic. We hope to see you there!

Two days later, on Tuesday September 21st, another great fan event and celebration will take place: Bowlmoot 2004. The gathering will take place before the performance of the Lord Of The Rings Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. For more information about Bowlmoot please visit the website at http://www.bowlmoot.net/

Hall Of Fire Chats This Weekend
Demosthenes @ 9:43 am EST

After Eru created the music that spawned his Children, he offered the creation of their home to his immortal, angelic beings known to the Elves as the Valar. After Arda's creation, dissension erupted between the Valar who stood for goodness and beauty and the jealous, destructive Melkor, and the land became their battle ground. Eventually, the Valar retreated from Arda to their own lands in the West. Once the Elves awakened, they became the new battle ground between the two sides.

The Valar’s Intervention in ME: Adequate or Abandonment?

To protect the newly awakened Elves from Melkor, the Valar persuaded them to leave Middle Earth. What resulted was the most fruitful and enlightening time for the Elves who followed them but the darkness in their departure estranged them from the Valar. Led by Manwe, the Valar hid themselves and most discontinued their involvement with the Elves.

What was the Valar's actual responsiblity in Middle Earth and it's affairs? Did they abandon the Elves and Men to Melkor's evil, or was their involvement more subtle? Why couldn't they strike a balance in their intervention, that seemed neither too much nor too little? Who was more responsible for how the races of Middle Earth evolved through four ages, Melkor or the Valar?

Come join us this week in #thehalloffire as we discuss the Valar's Intervention in Middle EArth.

===
Upcoming topics:

Aug 28-29: Samwise Gamgee
Sept 4-5: The Hobbit: Chapter 13: Not At Home
Sept 11-12: Middle Earth's Greatest Hero
Sept 18-19: The Hobbit: Chapter 14: Fire and Water
Sept 25-26: The Downfall of Numenor
Oct 2-3: The Hobbit: Chapter 14: The Gathering of the Clouds

===
Place:

#thehalloffire on theonering.net IRC server. Need instructions? Go here: http://www.theonering.net/barlimans/instructions.html

===
Chat Times:

Saturday Chat:
5:30pm EST (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 7:30am Sunday morning AEST]

Sunday Chat:
8:00 pm (20:00) CET
[also 2:00pm (14:00) EST and 4:00am Monday morning AEST]

EST = Eastern Time, USA's East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AEST = Australian East Coast

Shore Pre-Show Q&A in Chicago
Xoanon @ 8:51 pm EST

CHICAGO, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Fans of the music of Academy Award-winning Howard Shore will have two opportunities to interact with the composer during the Chicago performances of "The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements" on October 8 and 9 at the Auditorium Theatre. Mr. Shore will host a 45-minute question & answer session prior to each performance from the Auditorium Theatre Stage; the Q&A sessions are only open to patrons holding tickets for those respective nights. Mr. Shore will also host a 90-minute post-show dessert and champagne reception each night immediately following the show. The reception tickets, which are $75.00, are limited to 100 patrons per night and may be purchased by calling (312) 951-0080.

The performances each night begin at 8:00 p.m. Fans wishing to interact with Mr. Shore at the Q&A session may arrive at the Auditorium Theatre at 6:00 p.m.; seating will be general admission. Mr. Shore and Doug Adams, author of the upcoming book The Music of the Lord of the Rings, will take questions from the stage beginning at approximately 6:30pm. Upon conclusion of the Q&A session at 7:15 p.m., patrons will be reseated in their ticketed seat.

The post-show reception will be in the Auditorium Theatre’s 2nd-floor dress circle lobby. Mr. Shore will sign autographs, pose for pictures, and otherwise mingle and interact with attendees. Dessert from Eli’s Cheesecake and champagne are complimentary. Other cocktails and soft drinks are available via a cash bar.

"The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements" features more than 200 musicians and singers performing music from all three films in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The presentation will also feature original concept and storyboard artwork from the films by artists Alan Lee and John Howe. Projected images will chronologically align with the music as the story of the hobbits’ journey unfolds. Tickets, which range from $35.00 to $80.00, are on sale now, and may be purchased at the Auditorium Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or by calling (312) 902-1500.

"The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements" is presented by Jam Theatricals.

Arkansas town Blooms
Xoanon @ 10:12 pm EST

BY MICHELLE PARKS ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

BEAVER — A dozen days ago, this tiny town of 95 at least tripled in size as people waited for the filming of Elizabethtown, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, to start. Film crews darted around Eureka Springs and Berryville on Aug. 3, including stops at Dinosaur World and the Great Passion Play grounds. The crew planned to begin filming at Beaver’s historic wooden bridge in the middle of the day, but changed it to midafternoon. They didn’t arrive until much later. To passers-by, the crowd in lawn chairs and on blankets probably seemed a bit odd, as they drank water and sat under trees to keep cool in the August heat. Some gathered at the Beaver Town Inn and Trading Post, a general store just up the road, for refreshments and air conditioning. Many were teen girls, and this was their once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Orlando Bloom in person and possibly get him to sign something. They traveled here from as far as North Little Rock and Tulsa. The filmmakers were tightlipped about the movie when talking to Eureka Springs tourism staff members, only telling them it was a road-trip movie. The Internet Movie Database Web site has a few specifics, like the actors, which include Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin and Judy Greer. After failures in his job and love life, Bloom’s character, Drew Baylor, returns home to Kentucky to deal with the aftermath of his father’s death, according to the Web site. "This is more than a comedy drama. This is really going to have some poignancy and real meaning," says Lynn Berry, director of marketing for Eureka Springs’ City Advertising and Promotion Commission. Elizabethtown is named for the small Kentucky town where much of the action takes place. The movie should be in theaters in fall 2005. Arkansas was in the running for location shots after a producer who’d worked on Chrystal — a movie filmed in Northwest Arkansas and starring Billy Bob Thornton — bragged about the area and its people. So Chris Baugh, a location manager for Elizabethtown, called the Eureka Springs commission in October. Berry obliged Baugh’s sole request: to see the Christ of the Ozarks statue on the Great Passion Play grounds. "That’s all he knew about," she says. "That’s the icon for Eureka Springs." When Baugh arrived, Berry drove him to at least a dozen sites in and around Eureka Springs including Dinosaur World and the Beaver bridge, built in 1949. She eventually heard back from Paramount Pictures, and more movie personnel arrived in February. "I knew it was a road trip movie, so I said, ‘You’ve got to see our roads,’" Berry says. She took them on about 40 miles of winding roads around Eureka Springs and Berryville. The move crew liked what they saw, and a dozen more, including director Cameron Crowe, returned in May. Crowe’s Hollywood resume is bright with directing and writing credits for Almost Famous(2000) and Jerry Maguire (1996). The Elizabethtown crew photographed and videotaped the views then. Paramount negotiated private contracts with the various locales. "They are wholly respectful of the community in which they work," Berry says. "That’s what was so impressive to me." Preproduction began in late June, as a group prepared maps and figured out which restaurants could hold an onslaught of 75 customers and what vehicles the curvy roads would require. With arrangements in place, all that remained was time.

ON LOCATION

With people waiting near the Beaver bridge for filming to start, it was already going on in other locales. Cris Dunnam, creative director with the Eureka Springs commission, hung out all day with the smaller of the two film crews, the second unit, which had about 10 members. "It’s much more relaxed and a lot less stressful than the first unit," he says. The crew shot "portraits of fake dinosaurs" at Dinosaur World, which they really liked. "They’d never seen anything that retro, sort of roadside kitsch," Dunnam says. At the Christ statue, they shot several different angles, using stand-ins for the main characters, he says. The first unit, which numbered about 65, stayed longer at Dinosaur World, which delayed them in getting to Beaver, and held up the second unit. "It changes every minute," Dunnam says of the filming schedule. The cost of filming a major movie on location can run around $100,000 an hour, which is the price Berry was told this one cost. That includes things like paying and feeding the crew and renting the transportation and equipment, she said. Berry says the dialect coach recorded a desk clerk and waitress to capture the flavor of local speech. "They actually taped my voice," Berry says. Whitney Huffmaster of Monett, Mo., relaxes in a lawn chair about 2 p.m., wearing a bikini top and shorts. The 16-year-old said she heard about the filming from her aunt and uncle, who had been camping at Table Rock Lake. Whitney brought her best friend, Shannan Eimer, 15, to see Bloom — "because he was really cute in the Pirates of the Caribbean." The girls, along with Whitney’s aunt and uncle, grandparents and cousins, arrived around 10 in the morning. They also brought her aunt’s dog, Lili, a white miniature American Eskimo, because Huffmaster read in Peoplemagazine that Bloom is a dog lover. And, she read, he’s usually willing to sign autographs. Adelaide German, 17 and from Eureka Springs, showed up early because she thought they needed extras, but there was no one here. "Other than that, Orlando’s pretty hot, so I decided I wanted to see him," she says. "Smalltown Eureka Springs having somebody that big coming in here, that’s pretty awesome." Tonya Sherman, 15, says, "I’m just here with her." For the bridge scene, German thinks Bloom’s character is dumping his dead father’s ashes off the bridge. She also heard that Tom Cruise is a producer for the film and thought she might have a chance to see him, too. "That’d be even cooler if he was here, but we’ll take what we can get," German says. Her friend, Isaac Pirkle, 16, says his mother ran into a film crew member at the Laundromat, and found out about the filming. Around 3:30 p.m., the people along the water move their chairs and coolers into the shade again as the hot sun continues to shift. A ski boat speeds up to the bridge, and another truck crosses it. A FedEx truck drives by twice. A Holiday Island Fire Department boat waits in the shade, warding off water traffic. A Carroll County sheriff’s office car controls motor traffic. Music starts up from a nearby home, playing country tunes and Jimmy Buffet’s "Margaritaville." A group of local residents gather on a concrete patio. "Have they already started filming?" a woman shouts from her red Jeep. "No," someone tells her. "Cool," she says, smiling as she drives up the road to park. Around 4 p.m., someone shouts, "They’re here," as a white van and white Ryder truck drive by. The Ryder truck backs down the lower of two roads parallel to the water. The people sitting under those trees snap shots of the crews opening trucks. Up at the store, Lucy Stowe, 15, talks about how she is glad her dad brought her here from their Eureka Springs home to catch a glimpse of Bloom.

"It’s hot, but exciting," she says. "It’s hot, or he’s hot?" her dad, Doug, asks her. "Both," she replies. Berry talks to people mingling on the store’s front porch. "Welcome to Hollywood," she says. "Or, Beaverwood." About 20 minutes later, big trucks and vans roll down the road. Berry makes her way down to the water’s edge to move the crowd there back closer to the store. Otherwise, she tells them, they’ll be in the shot. Soon, more small Ryder trucks, a state trooper car, two vans, a few SUVs and cars drive past the store. Berry asks residents to turn down the music, and warn people to stay out of the streets. Fans gather behind a stop sign, many of them wearing shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. When Bloom emerges from a car, he isn’t wearing swashbuckling garb, and his hair isn’t flowing blond onto a pack of arrows strapped to his back. He has lost all resemblance to his recent Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings characters. He looks like a regular guy, playing a regular guy in a movie set in the real world. Today, his hair is tousled and brown, and his costume is black pants, shoes and a green T-shirt with "Ale81, " a logo for a Kentucky-made soft drink, in white on the front. The crew won’t let him sign autographs as long as they see newspaper cameras. By 5:30 p.m., he has signed several before heading off to work on the scene. "I touched his hand," one girl says. Lucy Stowe, who skipped ballet class for the chance at an autograph, has Bloom sign two scraps of paper — one for a fellow dancer. Savannah Brick, also of Eureka Springs, is one of several people to get a dollar bill signed. Those become known as "Bloom dollars" by the end of the night. "He said, ‘It’s all about the money,’" Brick says Bloom commented about the bills. Ten-year-old Brick’s favorite Bloom movie is the third The Lord of the Rings installment, The Return of the King. "I think he looks good in blond," she says of his Legolas role.

By 6 p.m., the crew sets up cameras by the bridge, hidden from some angles by large white screens. Bloom’s stand-in takes his place on the wooden bridge. Then Crowe works with Bloom on the scene. A black Labrador mix, named Sidi, is on a leash on the set during filming. Berry says Bloom picked the young dog up as a stray on the streets of Morocco. Several crew members are on the bridge around 6:45 p.m., one of them dabbing Bloom’s face with a towel. Fans gather around a gold Durango, watching through an opening beneath the tree limbs. Most are still waiting for autographs. Brianne Lewis, 12, of Berryville sits cross-legged on the road with a poster she made declaring the Berryville color guard’s love for Bloom. She plays flute in the Berryville band and is a member of the band’s color guard. "We’re big fans," Lewis says. "He’s hot." Brianne and her friend Tyanna Doss had been waiting for more than an hour to get his autograph. Brianne brought a school T-shirt and Tyanna, 13, brought the glossy page of a teen magazine showing Bloom in a suit and unbuttoned shirt. "He looks so cute in that picture," Tyanna says. Brianne had tried to call Tyanna to invite her to come down, but her phone was busy. When she banged on Tyanna’s front door, Tyanna was still in the shower. "I got out of the shower and put on some clothes. I still have shampoo in my hair," she says, her wet locks held in place by a black sun visor. On her own belly, Tyanna wrote in black marker, "I love O.B.," with a colored-in heart for "love." Around 7:15 p.m., wisps of fog roll across the water’s surface. By 7:35, the crew lines up the fans and moves them back away from the filming area. About 50 people have waited patiently, looking sweaty and tired. At 7:40, a man yells, "Be quiet. Rolling dialogue." A few folks in a nearby yard keep talking, and the cicadas’ drone persists. Then, five minutes later, another man shouts, "Keep quiet. Rolling."About 7:50, came another yell: "Cut. Thank you, guys. Going again." In a nearby yard, police talk with some residents, who are irritated the filming is taking so long. "Cut. Going again," the man says. "Rolling. Quiet please." Soon after 8 p.m., the sun has set, and the shot is done. Bloom signs autographs again — purses, magazines, DVD cases, T-shirts, caps and slips of paper. Ashley Pritchard shrieks with delight after her Bloom encounter, running to show friends his signature. "I was, like, shaking," the 14-year-old says, giggling and flashing a wide, braces-filled smile. "For one thing, he’s really cute," says Ashley, of Berryville. "I just really like his acting." When Bloom is finally pulled away from giving autographs, he gives one last girl a hug and signs an older woman’s T-shirt on her shoulder. Bloom climbs into the passenger seat of the gold Durango and rides away. "Thank you. Thank you," the girls yell. "Bye. Come again. Anytime."

THE DAY AFTER

The next day, Berry recalls how she stood by the sound man and watched the monitors when they recorded sound. The crew kept telling some noisy people in the background to quiet down, but that wasn’t the main trouble. "That’s not even registering. Can you turn the cicadas down?" she says the sound man asked aloud. Because the crew members were delayed and were then waiting for nature to calm, they also saw the fog start to form above the water. The sunset made the yellow bridge glow. "They were very impressed with the way the fog rolled down the river," Berry says. "They were just blown away. They thought that light and that fog was unbelievable." Though a notice had been printed in local newspapers, there were no signs on the U.S. 62 entrances to Arkansas 187 to warn drivers that the bridge in the middle was closed. Berry says the Carroll County sheriff’s office turned around about 70 drivers who got all the way down to the bridge, and only two drivers complained to the department. "When you move into a town of 95, you pretty much lock it up," Berry says. "We were so sorry to inconvenience people in that way and we were so thankful that it was just for a few hours."Johnny Head, who manages the Beaver Town store with Trent Palzer, says the day of filming was their busiest day since opening two months ago. The 370 customers logged on their register receipts far exceeded the typical 60 customers on weekdays. "It was good for a Tuesday," Head says. It didn’t bother them having the road blocked, with residents, fans and the film crew flowing in and out all day. They stayed open an extra two and a half hours — until 9:30 p.m. — to accommodate the film crew as they packed up the equipment. "They were still here when we closed up," Head says. The film crew and Bloom were booked into the Crescent Hotel, but they stayed at the Eureka Inn, Berry says. Some of them went to downtown bars after filming that night. They got up early the next day for breakfast at the Gazebo Restaurant, before moving on to the next stop. Bloom stayed the longest, signing autographs until he left at 8 a.m., Berry says. The filming of the bridge scene didn’t last long, just a few hours. And it might only take up seconds or minutes in the finished movie. For the fans who were there, though, it was enough. For a moment in August, Bloom, Crowe and this movie made Beaver history.

Live in the UK? Wanna Meet Ted Nasmith?
leo @ 10:23 am EST

Ted Nasmith has confirmed that he will be signing copies of his new illustrated edition of the Silmarillion at Forbidden Planet, 179, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR on September 15th from 5.30-6.30. This new edition of Tolkien unsung masterpiece will include 28 previously unseen Nasmith illustrations. If you are unable to attend the signing but would like to receive a copy, please call 020 7420 3666 and the shop will be able to reserve you a copy.

We hope to see you there!

More on the new revised and illustrated Silmarillion...

The Silmarillion
Revised and Illustrated edition
J. R. R. Tolkien
Illustrated by Ted Nasmith

A beautifully presented revised and reset edition of The Silmarillion, illustrated by celebrated Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith - designed to match and complement the illustrated Lord of The Rings

J R R Tolkien's SILMARILLION is the core work of the Middle-earth canon. It is in this dense and often neglected masterpiece that the entire cosmology for the background for THE HOBBIT and, particularly, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is documented.

This revised and reset volume contains fabulous tales of heroes and monsters, and the history of the Elves and of the Silmarils - the magical jewels produced by the Children of Iluvatar, or Elves (humans being the Younger Children of Iluvatar); it tells of the creation of Middle-earth, and the coming of Men into the world; it chronicles the early battles between good and evil, forces of light and dark, which foreshadow the great conflict with Sauron, the Dark Lord, in LORD OF THE RINGS.

These tales of Middle-earth were published posthumously in 1977. Tolkien worked on THE SILMARILLION all his life - long before THE HOBBIT or LORD OF THE RINGS - and his son and literary executor Christopher Tolkien edited the material he left behind into its current form.

With the close collaboration of Christopher Tolkien, THE SILMARILLION has now been completely reset, using the Second Edition text, and redesigned and repackaged to complement the stunningly illustrated hardbacks of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and COMPLETE GUIDE TO MIDDLE-EARTH, providing the reader with a definitive text.

Furthermore, acclaimed Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith has been commissioned to provide 28 breathtaking new paintings, making this new illustrated edition of THE SILMARILLION the most sumptuous and desirable ever published.

'How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?' The Guardian

'Demanding to be compared with English mythologies... at times rises to the greatness of true myth' Financial Times

'A creation of singular beauty... magnificent in its best moments' Washington Post

Ted Nasmith has contributed to a range of illustrated works including The Tolkien Calendar, the Complete Guide to Middle-earth, Realms of Tolkien and Tolkien's World.

Fellowship of Light Festival
Xoanon @ 11:29 am EST

They are in Victoria, BC. Some are visible, and some are hiding. I am speaking of fans of J.R.R.Tolkien. Martha, Kat and I (Suzanne) forged a friendship this year and became part of a wonderful adventure that changed our lives. This happened on July 24th, and this is the story of how it happened.

I officially met Martha at the University of Victoria Thomas Shippey lecture in February 2004. I met her briefly at Trilogy Tuesday at Tillicum mall in December 2003.Kat met Martha at the UVIC Cinecenta LOTR Trilogy in April 2004.Through email and phone chats (I want to thank Sabrina of the Tolkien Society for her for the starting of the email list) we finally met and that was it! –The start of a beautiful friendship.

We would meet for supper, LOTR discussions, movies, and music. We found out we had so much in common and yet so much to teach each other.

Well, one day I remembered the wonderful festival of light in Victoria called Luminara

Every July for about 4 years we have a festival where the whole Beacon Hill Park becomes a fantastic land of magic, mystery and light. http://www.luminaravictoria.com/

People dress up in costume, carry handmade lanterns, make large instillations (large thematic lanterns). There is singing, dancing, drumming, and just enjoying the atmosphere. In 2003 I had dressed up as Frodo.

That was a very memorable time. I thought what a great idea for next Luminara! Why not do something more spectacular for 2004, where we would make a gigantic lantern (called an installation) and be in costume. After many more talks and meetings, us three decided on the Gates of Moria for our design for the installation. We started meeting just weekly for this, but soon met up to about 4 times a week even closer to the deadline to work on the project.

We experimented with tissue paper, pens, paint, and glue, whatever we had around, to come up with our desired idea and look. In addition, we designed our own personal lanterns. Martha made #3-Bagshot Row. Kat made a scary Palantir. I made a model of Mount Doom with Gandalf, Frodo and Sam, Gwaihir and Landrover.

For most of July we planned the structure and how we would make it and install it when it came to the day. It was designed in stages.

First we designed the canvas first, then the wood structure, then the candle network. We had to safely attach 42 tea candles to our structure. It was quite a fantastic sight once it was finished! It ended up being about 8 feet high, 6 feet wide and 3 feet in depth.

In order to project the image we had to use an overhead projector. It put the image on a large white wall. We traced the image, carefully paying attention to every detail. The design on the canvas was finished with black acrylic paint and blue fabric paint for the glow effect. Here is Martha and Kat doing some painting at our “warehouse”.

More days were spent planning for July 24th (which was coming very quickly!). By the end of all of this, we might have learnt enough skills to perhaps build a house! Martha was our savior in all of this with her excellent expertise in designing and building things.

We were accepted by the head of Luminara (thank you Jeanie!) and soon we knew exactly where our installation was going to be displayed in the festival. We called it Mel-Lon. Besides lantern designing we spent a good time figuring out what our costumes were to be. Martha was an elf with a beautiful long green/gray dress with flowing sleeves. Kat was an elf with an elegant cape and black skirt and red velvet shirt. I dressed up as Frodo complete with Sting, the One-Ring and hairy feet. The hairy feet were Martha’s idea! She is so creative with costumes!

July 24th arrived and for most of the afternoon, Martha and Kat put up the structure and later on in the evening I joined them after work! The fun begins!

It was fantastic meeting people and interacting with the public. We met many fans of Tolkien and were surprised how many people actually knew what our structure was!

Thousands of people walked past us that night. The children were the best delight! Our smaller lanterns were a hit with the kids! And perceptive as well! One boy said “Its not working!” He was shouting “Mellon!” to the structure and it didn’t open. ! We had pictures taken us with tourists and one fellow from Korea pretended to be Gollum and steal the ring from me!

We also changed the wording of the Elvish (Feanorian) on the gates. The first line remains the correct phrase “The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak, friend and enter”.

The second line we changed and using Feanorian script we wrote “Made by friends of J.R.R.Tolkien for Luminara Festival”. It was a special dedication to Tolkien and the Festival itself.

We met many other festival performers and people in costumes, many more elves and fairy folk. I took a few pictures of other lanterns in the festival that were gorgeous!

Sadly, at about 11:30pm, it was time to leave and we met a few nice people that helped us take down the project. Weary and tired we went home and gave our feet a well-needed rest and thought of the nice memories we had.

That night was one of the most beautiful and spiritual times ever in our lives. Besides learning useful skills, we forged strong bonds of friendship. I hope that you can get involved locally in projects in your town and do something like this! It is times like these that we will remember in our hearts and keep the light glowing.

Suzanne (Of the Tolkien Trio)

Thank you all of the people of Luminara and City of Victoria

Thank you Em, Dan, Kristi, Gilbert, Laxmi, and Andrew for your wonderful support.

And this is also dedicated to Trace, Nori, Rommy, Steve, and Caroline who I thought of all that night Wish you were here to experience the magic.

Boston LineParty MOS Moot Update!
leo @ 5:17 pm EST

Ringer Spy Tamara writes: Missed the Barlibash in Boston? Not to worry, the Boston Line Party is still going strong and there will be another opportunity to join your fellow Ringers on a journey to the Museum of Science.

We've got about 25 people committed to join us at the Museum of Science Lord of the Rings Exhibition on Saturday, September 4, 2004 at 2 PM, but each time slot has 100 tickets, so there is plenty of room. As of today, there are still tickets available for 2 pm (as well as 1:45, 2:15 and 2:30 if those sell out) Take a look at our website listed below to see who is going and to join us in any of the Moot activities- like our evening at Boston Beer Works on Canal Street. If you haven't made up your mind about attending, I can vouch that the Exhibit is stunning. From the Bigatures, to the costumes and weapons, to the interactive activities. All are a high quality.

We didn't get enough people to get our own hotel rate, but we joined with some of our friends at WorldCon to share space (Their con is also Labor Day Weekend), since they had a great rate of $144 for the Marriott. Several people have booked rooms already and still have space for roomates. Or, as the discounted deadline approaches, I suggest booking your room and then worrying about getting a roommate or two (or three). Here's several links to help make your trip easier:

Info on the Moot (including a Ringer Calendar, Things:
http://expectopatronvm.com/mos/mos.html

Moot discussion Forum:
http://expectopatronvm.com/phpBB2/index.php

Boston Museum of Science- LOTR:
http://www.mos.org/lotr/

Order Exhibition Tickets:
http://store.mos.org/?action=showevent;event_id=295

Worldcon/NoreasCon:
http://www.boston2004.org

Hotel rates for WorldCon roomies:
http://www.boston2004.org/facilities/aboutMarriott.html

WorldCon roommates discussion:
http://www.boston2004.org/discuss/index.php?cmd=show&thread=-5&posts=16

Use the discount code to reserve a room at the
Marriott:
http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/BOSCO