Volume 86/Issue 11
Volume 86/Issue 11
Circulation: One thousand and nineteen. Welcome all!
Note from the Mods: Please encourage friends on your friends list to join and send their news. If you have an announcement you would like to make, a fic you'd like to promote, a question you'd like to ask, we invite you to simply format it according to the rules on the info page and email it to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. You do not have to be a member to post but we are an open community and encourage everyone to join now. Only the mods may initiate new posts but comments are encouraged.
MEDIA NEWS:
From TORn: TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup - October 24 2011
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! [Read more]
Hobbit journey starts in Matamata
Film crews are now at Matamata’s Hobbiton film set as location shooting on Peter Jackson’s two-part fantasy epic The Hobbit begins in earnest - and the movie’s stars might not be far away
One of two convoys laden with film gear arrived in Matamata’s Buckland Rd at the weekend, while the other headed to Queenstown from Sir Peter’s Miramar studios.
While production company 3 Foot 7 retains a tighter grip on information than Gollum on a certain ring, one nearby resident who declined to be named said the convoy started arriving on Saturday afternoon. [Read more]
Hobbits Could Be Coming Soon!
Middle-Earth appears to be returning to the Wakatipu if construction in a remote valley is anything to go by. A three-storey wooden set and smaller structure are being built on private land beyond Glenorchy, 66km from Queenstown.
Security staff guarding the gate are turning away tourists and telling them the road does not give access to the nearby unsignposted Paradise estate. [Read more]
Today in Middle-earth, October 25
The following event took place in Middle-earth on October 25:
*The Council of Elrond (1418)
Stephen Fry And Peter Jackson Sit Down In Bag End To Discuss Tolkien
The latest episode of the BBC2?s “Planet Word” has Stephen Fry, cast in the role of the Master of Laketown, speaking with Peter Jackson about Tolkien’s use of languages in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Roads go ever, ever on, under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone, return at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen, and horror in halls of stone,
Look at last on meadows green, and trees and hills they long have known.
Stephen Fry’s recital of Tolkien’s poem sets the tone for his little discussion with PJ in a most apt setting - the Bag End set down in New Zealand, where filming for the upcoming Hobbit films is currently on in full swing.
Folks in the UK can watch the stream via bbc.co.uk, while those located internationally can catch a snippet over on YouTube (4:17 into the video).
A transcript is also up on our message boards courtesy of board member QuackingTroll.
Empire Magazine Celebrates LOTR at 10
Empire Magazine has gone Hobbit Happy in their latest issue. Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the release of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ in style! Check out these stories:
Hobbits Reunion
At the very heart of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy are the four hobbits played by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. Inseparable during the shoot and linked for life by their experiences there, they hadn’t seen each other all together for years until we reassembled them for a reunion shoot to mark the 10th anniversary of the release. So take a look, and read the accompanying interview to hear all about having lilies strewn at their feet, the toilets on set and whether hobbit feet are hereditary. We also have an exclusive collection of Aragorn’s personal photos from the set in Viggo Mortensen’s Middle-Earth.
Jackson’s Unseen Concept Art
Ever wondered how they settled on the design for the Balrog? Or Shelob? Or Sauron, or the Witch King of Angmar? Well, wonder no more: our trove of previously-unreleased concept art, as explained by Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and Peter Jackson himself, gives you new details on how the monsters of The Lord Of The Rings came to look the way they did. Throughout the Lord Of The Rings celebration, we also bring you untold stories from all the cast and crew. Yes, they still had a few untold stories after all these years!
Lord of the Rings: Oscar Memories
How does it feel to win all 11 of the 11 Academy Awards you’re nominated for? What do you tend to remember of Oscar night? And what did Steven Spielberg tell Peter Jackson on the way off-stage after presenting him with Best Director? The answers to all these questions and more are right here, as we bring you a complete oral history of that night-of-nights for New Zealand. They may just have won the Rugby World Cup on home turf, and sure, a few All Blacks are probably pleased about that, but we all know that it’s the Oscars victory that matters most. Right?
Serkis’ Flying visit
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit actor Andy Serkis took a break from filming at the weekend to pay a short visit to Queenstown. While in the resort Serkis, who plays Gollum/Smeagol, took a ride with Ziptrek in the exhilarating Kea 6-Line Tour, which features the world’s steepest tree-to-tree flying fox. More..
Peter Jackson Confirms He Will Make the Next ‘Tintin’ Film After ‘The Hobbit’
When the notion of making performance-capture films based on Hergé‘s Tintin stories first came up, the plan was to make three films. Steven Spielberg would direct the first, Peter Jackson the next, and there was a theoretical third film mentioned here and there. But financing was problematic, and by the time Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin was working its way through post-production the film’s subtitle had been dropped and we weren’t hearing much about the second movie. We knew a screenwriter had been hired, but the future of the sequel was less than certain. More..
War in the North - Original Video Game Score
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and WaterTower Music are pleased to announce the November 1 release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score by award-winning composer Inon Zur. The soundtrack will debut day and date with the Action RPG video game, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. After three highly acclaimed performances of the music at E3, Inon Zur has continued the tradition of iconic The Lord of the Rings music and crafted an epic and beautiful nineteen track score to the game, recorded at famed Abbey Road studios in the U.K.
“Composing the music for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was a very inspirational, creative process,” said Zur. “The story is very compelling, and this had a direct influence on my music. As a long time fan of The Lord of the Rings, I always dreamed to be a part of this franchise, and when this dream came true, I was extremely motivated to tell the emotional story of this dark heroic adventure and its captivating characters. Bringing on board the London Philharmonia Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road studios magnified the music to new heights. I am so grateful to Warner Bros. for their support and I’m very excited to have you, the players, be a part of this musical experience and hope you will be as engaged as myself.” [Read more]
WBIE Release First of Four Videos for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released the first of four new videos discussing the cultural phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings, as well as how The Lord of the Rings: War in the North fits within this world. This video features commentary from well-known faces from the entertainment industry discussing their personal affinity for The Lord of the Rings.
Film stars Dominic Monahan and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings) discuss exploring this world in their childhoods; actors Brian Posehn (The Sara Silverman Show) and Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) speak to its dominance within the fantasy genre, and gaming experts Alison Haislip (G4) and Miri Jedeikin affirm The War in the North’s authenticity, as well as noted Tolkien scholar, Corey Olson. [Read more]
Exclusive Video: LOTR Reunion
From empireonline.com: It’s ten years on since four little hobbits set off from the Shire on an epic quest that spanned Middle Earth and took in vast battles, demonic monsters, wizardry, Orcs and, ultimately, enough Oscars to fill the Lonely Mountain. It’s ten years that have seen the rise and fall and rise again of two-part prequel The Hobbit, now firmly in production in Wellington, offering moviegoers an imminent return to Middle Earth.
Obviously this all called for a big celebration so a celebration is what Empire is having. The new issue is more bursting with revelry and nostalgia than a Friday night at the Prancing Pony. There’s tall tales - well, tallish tales - memories; behind-the-scenes pics from Aragorn himself, Viggo Mortensen; Oscar night reflections from Ian McKellen, Peter Jackson and Mortensen; and rarely-seen concept art.
Best of all, though, is a gathering of the four hobbits themselves: Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry). It was so momentous it called for its own trailer - and here it is for your perusal pleasure. Sadly the Nazgûl got stuck in LA traffic.
COMMUNITY NEWS: Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.
* tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
The Lady in Waiting (Galadriel, Elrond; rated G) by curiouswombat
Waiting at the Gate (Faramir, Boromir, Denethor; rated G) by almaheart
Exit Welcome Wagon (Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast; rated G) by huinare
Home At Last (Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir; rated G) by jay_of_lasgalen
*From oeam:
The Captain’s Daughter, chapter 20 and chapter 21 (Erkenbrand/OFC, Éomer, Grimbold & the Rohirrim, OFCs, OMCs; rated PG through R) by gwaelinn
Any Good Thing 2 (Erestor/Glorfindel; rated NC-17) by aglarien1
* From nzstories:
Words/Silence/Flesh (Part 18-24/?) (Sean Bean/Viggo Mortensen(/Harry Sinclair), David Wenham/Miranda Otto; rated NC-17 overall) by savageseraph and caras_galadhon
CHALLENGES/WORKSHOPS/AWARDS: The current challenge at tolkien_weekly is Facial movements: Rapture
From lotr_sesa:
LotR SeSa 2011: Signups Now Open!
So, it's that time of the year again: time to sign up for the Lord of the Rings Secret Santa exchange! Slash, het and gen, fic and fanart; you can request it all, so why not join in? (Please note that this is an FPF -- Fictional, not Real Person -- exchange.) The sign-up post is here, and sign-ups will run from now until October 31st.
Please make your story more than 500 words (1000 is better). For fanart we'd expect you to spend at least a couple of hours on your work. We're looking forward to the exchange, and hope you are too!
lotr_sesa
FIC/ART NEWS: Links From mews1945: elderberrywine posted a fic for the Waymeet challenge: the first chapter in a new Baggins/Gamgee mystery. In which Frodo is in the lockholes in Michel Delving, and Sam visits to find out why. The Gentlehobbit From Little Delving
dreamflower02 posted a new chapter of her fic. Adamanta tells of her first child. Ancestress: Adamanta's Children: Briar Rose
DISCUSSIONS OF INTEREST: * Via the TORn forums:
On a personal note of remembering why I love Tolkien's stories.
So, I started listening to The Children of Húrin on audiobook, read by Christopher Lee. It goes without saying that Mr. Lee is a great fan of Tolkien's and someone who brings flawless pronunciation to Tolkien's languages.
However, I did found a section that made me remember why I really love Tolkien. I'm not a Hobbit man (funny, since I reallly love The Hobbit, but I think it's because of the dwarves, the quest and the dragon), and have always liked better -in the words of my TORn profile- elves and dragons. (and Wizards and Kings of Men for that matter).
That said, Chapter Two in the Children of Húrin is concerned with the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Lee starts reading it with a passion that's almost contagious, bringing out every single word, and it's in the words that you get lost. Each and every one is chosen for a specific effect, to paint a very complex picture. Suddenly, you can see the battlefields, the hosts of Elves and Men, Fingon's White Helm, Turgon's incredibly rich and shining army. Even better, the language and the structure are perfectly fitted for reading it aloud.... so when you have Christopher Lee's deep voice telling you the story, you really feel by the camp fire, some other time, some other place, reading a great epic from the past. It's the way Alexander must have felt when someone recited the Illiad.
Eh, anyway... I just wanted to share this. The audiobook brought a whole other dimension to the story, and I definitely recommend you to check it out if you can. I'm now convinced that Children of Húrin would make a very attractive movie...
CLASSIFIED: Your friendly middleearthnews mods are constantly on the lookout for all things LotR-related, from fics to fandom events, comics to current news. Make them happy by emailing them at middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
RESEARCH AIDS:. From estelanui:
An Essay on the Development of Middle-Earth Music by David J. Finnamore
There is a great deal of music which was inspired by the Middle-earth literature of J. R. R. Tolkien. It encompasses a wide variety of styles, from folk to jazz to black metal.
TRIVIA: Monday's BOOK question: What did Eomer call Aragorn when he learned that the Three Hunters had traveled 45 leagues in less than four days in pursuit of the Uruk-hai?
Answer: Wingfoot.
bagma, dreamflower02, rakshi, leianora, juliebeth, basserandstuff, namarielorien, frolijahfan and lindahoyland answered correctly.
Today's MOVIE question contributed by special_majick: What Fellowship member wears the Ring of Barahir on his index finger?
All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.
SEND MATHOMS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, lilivanilla1!
The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
COMICS: (Link contributions are welcome)
From ROFLrazzi:
That's it for this edition. Please send your formatted post for Friday’s edition by 8:00 a.m. (Eastern time) to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. Thanks for joining us and tell your friends!
Circulation: One thousand and nineteen. Welcome all!
Note from the Mods: Please encourage friends on your friends list to join and send their news. If you have an announcement you would like to make, a fic you'd like to promote, a question you'd like to ask, we invite you to simply format it according to the rules on the info page and email it to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. You do not have to be a member to post but we are an open community and encourage everyone to join now. Only the mods may initiate new posts but comments are encouraged.
MEDIA NEWS:
From TORn: TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup - October 24 2011
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! [Read more]
Hobbit journey starts in Matamata
Film crews are now at Matamata’s Hobbiton film set as location shooting on Peter Jackson’s two-part fantasy epic The Hobbit begins in earnest - and the movie’s stars might not be far away
One of two convoys laden with film gear arrived in Matamata’s Buckland Rd at the weekend, while the other headed to Queenstown from Sir Peter’s Miramar studios.
While production company 3 Foot 7 retains a tighter grip on information than Gollum on a certain ring, one nearby resident who declined to be named said the convoy started arriving on Saturday afternoon. [Read more]
Hobbits Could Be Coming Soon!
Middle-Earth appears to be returning to the Wakatipu if construction in a remote valley is anything to go by. A three-storey wooden set and smaller structure are being built on private land beyond Glenorchy, 66km from Queenstown.
Security staff guarding the gate are turning away tourists and telling them the road does not give access to the nearby unsignposted Paradise estate. [Read more]
Today in Middle-earth, October 25
The following event took place in Middle-earth on October 25:
*The Council of Elrond (1418)
Stephen Fry And Peter Jackson Sit Down In Bag End To Discuss Tolkien
The latest episode of the BBC2?s “Planet Word” has Stephen Fry, cast in the role of the Master of Laketown, speaking with Peter Jackson about Tolkien’s use of languages in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Roads go ever, ever on, under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone, return at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen, and horror in halls of stone,
Look at last on meadows green, and trees and hills they long have known.
Stephen Fry’s recital of Tolkien’s poem sets the tone for his little discussion with PJ in a most apt setting - the Bag End set down in New Zealand, where filming for the upcoming Hobbit films is currently on in full swing.
Folks in the UK can watch the stream via bbc.co.uk, while those located internationally can catch a snippet over on YouTube (4:17 into the video).
A transcript is also up on our message boards courtesy of board member QuackingTroll.
Empire Magazine Celebrates LOTR at 10
Empire Magazine has gone Hobbit Happy in their latest issue. Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the release of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ in style! Check out these stories:
Hobbits Reunion
At the very heart of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy are the four hobbits played by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. Inseparable during the shoot and linked for life by their experiences there, they hadn’t seen each other all together for years until we reassembled them for a reunion shoot to mark the 10th anniversary of the release. So take a look, and read the accompanying interview to hear all about having lilies strewn at their feet, the toilets on set and whether hobbit feet are hereditary. We also have an exclusive collection of Aragorn’s personal photos from the set in Viggo Mortensen’s Middle-Earth.
Jackson’s Unseen Concept Art
Ever wondered how they settled on the design for the Balrog? Or Shelob? Or Sauron, or the Witch King of Angmar? Well, wonder no more: our trove of previously-unreleased concept art, as explained by Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and Peter Jackson himself, gives you new details on how the monsters of The Lord Of The Rings came to look the way they did. Throughout the Lord Of The Rings celebration, we also bring you untold stories from all the cast and crew. Yes, they still had a few untold stories after all these years!
Lord of the Rings: Oscar Memories
How does it feel to win all 11 of the 11 Academy Awards you’re nominated for? What do you tend to remember of Oscar night? And what did Steven Spielberg tell Peter Jackson on the way off-stage after presenting him with Best Director? The answers to all these questions and more are right here, as we bring you a complete oral history of that night-of-nights for New Zealand. They may just have won the Rugby World Cup on home turf, and sure, a few All Blacks are probably pleased about that, but we all know that it’s the Oscars victory that matters most. Right?
Serkis’ Flying visit
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit actor Andy Serkis took a break from filming at the weekend to pay a short visit to Queenstown. While in the resort Serkis, who plays Gollum/Smeagol, took a ride with Ziptrek in the exhilarating Kea 6-Line Tour, which features the world’s steepest tree-to-tree flying fox. More..
Peter Jackson Confirms He Will Make the Next ‘Tintin’ Film After ‘The Hobbit’
When the notion of making performance-capture films based on Hergé‘s Tintin stories first came up, the plan was to make three films. Steven Spielberg would direct the first, Peter Jackson the next, and there was a theoretical third film mentioned here and there. But financing was problematic, and by the time Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin was working its way through post-production the film’s subtitle had been dropped and we weren’t hearing much about the second movie. We knew a screenwriter had been hired, but the future of the sequel was less than certain. More..
War in the North - Original Video Game Score
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and WaterTower Music are pleased to announce the November 1 release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score by award-winning composer Inon Zur. The soundtrack will debut day and date with the Action RPG video game, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. After three highly acclaimed performances of the music at E3, Inon Zur has continued the tradition of iconic The Lord of the Rings music and crafted an epic and beautiful nineteen track score to the game, recorded at famed Abbey Road studios in the U.K.
“Composing the music for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was a very inspirational, creative process,” said Zur. “The story is very compelling, and this had a direct influence on my music. As a long time fan of The Lord of the Rings, I always dreamed to be a part of this franchise, and when this dream came true, I was extremely motivated to tell the emotional story of this dark heroic adventure and its captivating characters. Bringing on board the London Philharmonia Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road studios magnified the music to new heights. I am so grateful to Warner Bros. for their support and I’m very excited to have you, the players, be a part of this musical experience and hope you will be as engaged as myself.” [Read more]
WBIE Release First of Four Videos for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released the first of four new videos discussing the cultural phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings, as well as how The Lord of the Rings: War in the North fits within this world. This video features commentary from well-known faces from the entertainment industry discussing their personal affinity for The Lord of the Rings.
Film stars Dominic Monahan and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings) discuss exploring this world in their childhoods; actors Brian Posehn (The Sara Silverman Show) and Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) speak to its dominance within the fantasy genre, and gaming experts Alison Haislip (G4) and Miri Jedeikin affirm The War in the North’s authenticity, as well as noted Tolkien scholar, Corey Olson. [Read more]
Exclusive Video: LOTR Reunion
From empireonline.com: It’s ten years on since four little hobbits set off from the Shire on an epic quest that spanned Middle Earth and took in vast battles, demonic monsters, wizardry, Orcs and, ultimately, enough Oscars to fill the Lonely Mountain. It’s ten years that have seen the rise and fall and rise again of two-part prequel The Hobbit, now firmly in production in Wellington, offering moviegoers an imminent return to Middle Earth.
Obviously this all called for a big celebration so a celebration is what Empire is having. The new issue is more bursting with revelry and nostalgia than a Friday night at the Prancing Pony. There’s tall tales - well, tallish tales - memories; behind-the-scenes pics from Aragorn himself, Viggo Mortensen; Oscar night reflections from Ian McKellen, Peter Jackson and Mortensen; and rarely-seen concept art.
Best of all, though, is a gathering of the four hobbits themselves: Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry). It was so momentous it called for its own trailer - and here it is for your perusal pleasure. Sadly the Nazgûl got stuck in LA traffic.
COMMUNITY NEWS: Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.
* tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
The Lady in Waiting (Galadriel, Elrond; rated G) by curiouswombat
Waiting at the Gate (Faramir, Boromir, Denethor; rated G) by almaheart
Exit Welcome Wagon (Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast; rated G) by huinare
Home At Last (Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir; rated G) by jay_of_lasgalen
*From oeam:
The Captain’s Daughter, chapter 20 and chapter 21 (Erkenbrand/OFC, Éomer, Grimbold & the Rohirrim, OFCs, OMCs; rated PG through R) by gwaelinn
Any Good Thing 2 (Erestor/Glorfindel; rated NC-17) by aglarien1
* From nzstories:
Words/Silence/Flesh (Part 18-24/?) (Sean Bean/Viggo Mortensen(/Harry Sinclair), David Wenham/Miranda Otto; rated NC-17 overall) by savageseraph and caras_galadhon
CHALLENGES/WORKSHOPS/AWARDS: The current challenge at tolkien_weekly is Facial movements: Rapture
From lotr_sesa:
LotR SeSa 2011: Signups Now Open!
So, it's that time of the year again: time to sign up for the Lord of the Rings Secret Santa exchange! Slash, het and gen, fic and fanart; you can request it all, so why not join in? (Please note that this is an FPF -- Fictional, not Real Person -- exchange.) The sign-up post is here, and sign-ups will run from now until October 31st.
Important Dates:
Sign-ups: Oct. 17 to Oct. 31
Assignments sent out: Nov. 8
Fic/art due: Dec. 16
Fic/art posted to the community: Dec. 24
Please make your story more than 500 words (1000 is better). For fanart we'd expect you to spend at least a couple of hours on your work. We're looking forward to the exchange, and hope you are too!
lotr_sesa
FIC/ART NEWS: Links From mews1945: elderberrywine posted a fic for the Waymeet challenge: the first chapter in a new Baggins/Gamgee mystery. In which Frodo is in the lockholes in Michel Delving, and Sam visits to find out why. The Gentlehobbit From Little Delving
dreamflower02 posted a new chapter of her fic. Adamanta tells of her first child. Ancestress: Adamanta's Children: Briar Rose
DISCUSSIONS OF INTEREST: * Via the TORn forums:
On a personal note of remembering why I love Tolkien's stories.
So, I started listening to The Children of Húrin on audiobook, read by Christopher Lee. It goes without saying that Mr. Lee is a great fan of Tolkien's and someone who brings flawless pronunciation to Tolkien's languages.
However, I did found a section that made me remember why I really love Tolkien. I'm not a Hobbit man (funny, since I reallly love The Hobbit, but I think it's because of the dwarves, the quest and the dragon), and have always liked better -in the words of my TORn profile- elves and dragons. (and Wizards and Kings of Men for that matter).
That said, Chapter Two in the Children of Húrin is concerned with the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Lee starts reading it with a passion that's almost contagious, bringing out every single word, and it's in the words that you get lost. Each and every one is chosen for a specific effect, to paint a very complex picture. Suddenly, you can see the battlefields, the hosts of Elves and Men, Fingon's White Helm, Turgon's incredibly rich and shining army. Even better, the language and the structure are perfectly fitted for reading it aloud.... so when you have Christopher Lee's deep voice telling you the story, you really feel by the camp fire, some other time, some other place, reading a great epic from the past. It's the way Alexander must have felt when someone recited the Illiad.
Eh, anyway... I just wanted to share this. The audiobook brought a whole other dimension to the story, and I definitely recommend you to check it out if you can. I'm now convinced that Children of Húrin would make a very attractive movie...
CLASSIFIED: Your friendly middleearthnews mods are constantly on the lookout for all things LotR-related, from fics to fandom events, comics to current news. Make them happy by emailing them at middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
RESEARCH AIDS:. From estelanui:
An Essay on the Development of Middle-Earth Music by David J. Finnamore
There is a great deal of music which was inspired by the Middle-earth literature of J. R. R. Tolkien. It encompasses a wide variety of styles, from folk to jazz to black metal.
TRIVIA: Monday's BOOK question: What did Eomer call Aragorn when he learned that the Three Hunters had traveled 45 leagues in less than four days in pursuit of the Uruk-hai?
Answer: Wingfoot.
bagma, dreamflower02, rakshi, leianora, juliebeth, basserandstuff, namarielorien, frolijahfan and lindahoyland answered correctly.
Today's MOVIE question contributed by special_majick: What Fellowship member wears the Ring of Barahir on his index finger?
All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.
SEND MATHOMS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, lilivanilla1!
The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
COMICS: (Link contributions are welcome)
From ROFLrazzi:
That's it for this edition. Please send your formatted post for Friday’s edition by 8:00 a.m. (Eastern time) to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. Thanks for joining us and tell your friends!