Et tu, Faramir?

by Michael Martinez, Monday, February 25, 2002

The one thing even J.R.R. Tolkien could not provide his readers (or himself) was a large corpus of Middle-earth literature, stories and narratives written by the inhabitants of Middle-earth. We have a few poems and songs, enough to tantalize the more avid hunters of esoteric snippets among us, but there is really no attempt to construct a literary tradition for Middle-earth. The Silmarillion source texts are mostly written as Tolkien's own retellings of the older stories. In a few places, such as the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien provides brief translated citatons from the imaginary older texts. One example occurs in the section on Arnor, where the chieftains of the Dunedain are discussed: There were fourteen Chieftains, before the fifteenth and last was born, Aragorn II, who became again King of born Gondor and Arnor. 'Our King, we call him; and when he comes north to his house in Ann minas restored and stays for a while by Lake Evendim, then everyone in the Shire is glad. But he does not enter this land and binds himself by the law that he has made, that none of the Big People shall pass its borders. But he rides often with many fair people to the Great Bridge, and there he welcomes his friends, and any others who wish to see him; and some ride away with him and stay in his house as long as they have a mind. Thain Peregrin has been there many times; and so has Master Samwise the Mayor. His daughter Elanor the Fair is one of the maids of Queen Evenstar.' Everything within the single-quoted material is supposed to be a translation from the Red Book of Westmarch. The Lord of the Rings is therefore a modern retelling of an ancient (forgotten) story, and not strictly a translation, as many have characterized it. Tolkien tells it in his own words and style, so he is not so much acting as a translator as merely a story-teller. Read the full article here.

And why do YOU think Bombadil was left out of the movie?

by Michael Martinez, Monday, February 11, 2002

John Cook, the popular artist/operator of Sev.Com.Au, has launched a new parody contest about Tom Bombadil.... He's crazy. He's controversial. He's OUT of "The Fellowship of the Ring". Why did Peter Jackson exclude poor old Tom Bombadil from last year's blockbuster adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings? Tolkien fans are invited to share their own explanations. Put words into the director's mouth, and see how funny you can be! Punchline Name Email

New Line sells TV rights to The WB, TNT, and TBS

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, February 3, 2002

Variety is reporting that the film rights for Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and its two yet-to-be-released sequels have been sold to TheWB, TNT, and TBS. All three networks are owned by AOL Time Warner, the parent company of New Line Cinema. Turner Broadcasting will determine how the networks will air the movies in a ten-year time frame. "The Fellowship of the Ring" will be broadcast on television in the fourth quarter (Fall season) of 2004, but no decision has yet been announced on which network will score the first broadcast rights. However, the Starz pay-per-view channel will show the movie for 18 months before any of the three networks can broadcast the film.

Get a first look at Vivendi's LoTR games

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, January 29, 2002

The Fellowship of the Ring Xbox to receive Vivendi's first 'Lord of the Rings' licensed game... One Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them, one Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. You may have read the books, seen the film, got the t-shirts, got the mug, got the trading cards, played the board game and collected the figures but now, just to top it all off, Universal Interactive is set to release a game later this year, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece. Universal, in collaboration with Vivendi, are developing titles promising to have unprecedented richness and fidelity; you will be able to submerge yourself into the War of the Ring for the first time ever. Nice. Tolkien; Professor of Classics (or something similarly academic) at Oxford University spent years creating a coherent world – based in pre-history, and his story centred around Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and Mortal Men all fighting for their freedom against the Dark Lord “Sauron”, who has unleashed his forces of darkness against “Middle-Earth”, the name for this forgotten realm. Imagine the potential then, of an RPG-influenced title based around the very premise and world that invented the fantasy genre as a whole – be it books, films, or indeed games. It’s quite staggering, really. Read the full article here

Legolas, you're just so darn...CUTE!

by Michael Martinez, Friday, January 25, 2002

Last month I wrote about the movie starring Orlando Bloom. I forget who else appeared in that flick, but in case you missed it, he played an elf named Legolas. Okay, I know who else appeared in the movie. Orlando had a supporting cast and all, but it was his movie. I know this because starting somewhere around December 20, 2001, my email began to explode with anxious queries from young ladies about that gorgeous elf in the movie. One of the oldest articles for the Suite101 Tolkien and Middle-earth topic is Speaking of Legolas.... I wrote that essay in March 2000. Almost 2 years ago. Since December 19, the most favorable reaction to that essay has been something along the lines of a lot of email saying, "Can you write anything else about Legolas?" The least favorable reaction to that essay has been something along the lines of a lot of email saying, "I LOVE LEGOLAS!" When I first saw Orlando Bloom dressed as Legolas, I said to myself right then and there, "That is the DEFINITIVE Legolas." A lot of people complained about the blond hair. Why is he blond? Almost overnight, the Great Hair Color Debate raged across the Internet. What color should Legolas' hair be? The book doesn't say and, quite frankly, I never really cared that much, although I always pictured him as being dark-haired myself. Why? No idea. That's just the way I saw him...until Orlando Bloom (who is himself dark-haired) stepped into the pointy shoes of nearly every Tolkien fan's favorite Elf (in the movies). Luthien has always been my favorite Elf, but I liked Beleg, too. Of course, my favorite Tolkien story is the tale of Luthien and Beren. But Legolas is an enigma. A lot of people have devoted a great deal of time to trying to figure him out. The color of his hair isn't the only question people have asked about him. How old is he? Is he married? Does he have any brothers or sisters? Was he at the Battle of Five Armies? The answers to all these questions are: Don't know. What do you think? and Whatever you want the answer to be. Read the full article here

Part 2 of John Rateliff's 3-part history of Tolkien on film is now available

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, January 19, 2002

Tolkien scholar John Rateliff talks about Peter Jackson's first LoTR movie.

Here is the complete schedule for SciFi Talk's LoTR specials

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, January 19, 2002

We have a complete list of the rotating schedule for SciFi Talk's Lord of the Rings specials. Sundays Lord Of The Rings Special Mondays Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins - Lord Of The Rings Tuesdays Howard Shore - Lord Of The Rings Composer Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf - Lord Of The Rings Wednesdays Barry Osborne & Richard Taylor - Lord Of The Rings Thursdays Orlando Bloom & Liv Tyler - Lord Of The Rings Concerning Hobbits Special Fridays Viggo Mortensen Of Lord Of The Rings Saturdays Lord Of The Rings Special Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins - Lord Of The Rings Howard Shore - Lord Of The Rings Composer Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf - Lord Of The Rings Concerning Hobbits Special Barry Osborne & Richard Taylor - Lord Of The Rings Sean Bean - Boromir - Lord Of The Rings Peter Jackson - Lord Of The Rings Director Orlando Bloom & Liv Tyler - Lord Of The Rings Viggo Mortensen - Aragorn - Lord Of The Rings Brad Dourif - Lord Of The Rings Home Page - http://www.scifitalk.com Listen To Sci-Fi Talk: For 56K Modem or less connection - http://www.live365.com/stations/211667 For T1/DSL connection - http://www.live365.com/stations/227762 Broadcast Schedule - http://hometown.aol.com/scifitalk/broadcast.htm

SciFi Talk features LoTR cast and crew interviews

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, January 19, 2002

The popular Internet radio station SciFi Talk has produced several new shows with Lord of the Rings cast and crew members. Transcripts will be rotated on a weekly basis at http://www.scifitalk.com/lordoftherings.com. Saturdays will feature all the interviews in one day. Schedule is below for indivdual interviews. Lord Of The Rings Special - Features cast and creators discussing their efforts to bring the novels to the screen. Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins - The actor talks about how he worked to get this covered part, plus the joys of wearing Hobbit feet. Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf - This legendary actor discusses the challenge of playing of literature's most popular wizards. Concerning Hobbits Special - Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd discuss playing their hobbit counterparts and the New Zealand lifestyle. Barry Osborne & Richard Taylor - Go behind the scenes of this incredible movie to learn how this epic series came together. Sean Bean - Boromir - This actor talks about how his character was fleshed out for Fellowship Of The Ring. Peter Jackson - Lord Of The Rings Director - He discusses taking on this trilogy and the challenges of bringing it to the screen. Howard Shore - Lord Of The Rings Composer - Hear who he created the many themes of the film. Many are also featured from the soundtrack CD. Orlando Bloom & Liv Tyler - Duo chats up their characters and their pointed ears. Bloom dug his New Zealand digs. Liv enjoyed her horseback experiences. Viggo Mortensen - Aragorn - Great insights on the character and the man who plays him. Home Page - http://www.scifitalk.com Listen To Sci-Fi Talk: For 56K Modem or less connection - http://www.live365.com/stations/211667 For T1/DSL connection - http://www.live365.com/stations/227762 Broadcast Schedule - http://hometown.aol.com/scifitalk/broadcast.htm

New LoTR cast info mailing list launches

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, January 16, 2002

LoTR fan Tidia and her friends have started a mailing list at Yahoo! Groups where fans may share information about which provides updates on actors appearing in the 'Lord of the Rings' movies. Fans of Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Ian McKellen, and Orlando Bloom are invited to subscribe to the list and share information about these actors. The purpose of the list is for fans to share information about upcoming appearances, Web site updates, pictures, interviews, and announcements about fan fiction. Xenite.Org is not affiliated with the list or list-owners. The LoTR Info mailing list is located at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOTRinfo/.

Tolkien scholar reviews history of Tolkien films

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, January 13, 2002

Wizards of the Coast is posting a 3-part history of Tolkien on film, written by Tolkien scholar John D. Rateliff (reputedly the literary successor of the late Taum Santoski, who began working on a book about how Tolkien wrote The Hobbit). Read part 1 of Rateliff's article here.

Parma Endorion becomes number 1 download

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, January 13, 2002

Parma Endorion, Essays on Middle-earth, 3rd edition, became the number 1 download at http://www.free-ebooks.net/ within its first week of availability on the eBook archive. Downloads of the eBook by Michael Martinez reached more than 4,000 per day soon after its January 5, 2002 publication. The Parma Endorion essays explore J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, an imaginary time in history which he developed through books such as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Interest in Tolkien and Middle-earth have always been strong, but the recent movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", by New Zealand director Peter Jackson, has launched a new generation of fans on a quest for more information about Middle-earth. Yahoo! Internet Life selected the Parma Endorion Web site for inclusion in its "Great Lord of the Rings on the Net Contest" in December 2001, in the "Best Site for Serious Tolkien Fans" category. Parma Endorion is an updated edition of a popular Web site covering topics from the geography and history of Middle-earth to planning a Middle-earth wedding, a review of the wonders of Middle-earth, and in-depth analyses of Tolkien's Rohirrim. One of four independent Web sites which were used to establish Science Fiction and Fantasy megasite Xenite.Org in early 1997, Parma Endorion has long been recognized around the world as an authoritative and exhaustive introduction to Tolkien's Middle-earth. Teachers, librarians, and students at all levels have used the popular essays for research and teaching resources. "I have wanted to update the Web site since the summer of 2000," Martinez says, "but it's so large I decided to make it an eBook. And I wanted the eBook to be free because so many people have visited the original Web site I didn't want to ask them to start paying for the new content." The 3rd edition of Parma Endorion includes some additional information and corrections. But unlike earlier editions, it also includes selected artwork from fan artists. Anke Eissmann and Rich Sullivan contributed the distinctive artwork used in the eBook. Matt Tinaglia provided design and technical services. Michael Martinez is the author of Visualizing Middle-earth, published through Xlibris Corp., and a noted Internet researcher specializing in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. He has written more than 100 essays on Tolkien and Middle-earth for Suite101.com and his work has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Polish. Several commercial enterprises have also contracted the author for consulting services relating to Middle-earth product lines. Parma Endorion is available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format at http://www.free-ebooks.net/fan_fiction.html.

National Society of Film Critics announces 2001 awards

by Michael Martinez, Monday, January 7, 2002

'Mulholland Drive' and 'Gosford Park' came in ahead of Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings'. Salon is reporting that "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is not the critics' first choice for best film of 2001. Director David Lynch's dark, dreamlike "Mulholland Drive" was named best picture of 2001 by the National Society of Film Critics on Saturday. Robert Altman's satirical "Gosford Park" came in second as best picture, while the fantasy hit "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was third. The group of 52 newspaper and magazine film critics held its 36th awards ceremony at Sardi's Restaurant in Manhattan. The critics voted Altman best director for his murder mystery, set on an English country estate in the 1930s. The film's writer, Julian Fellowes, received the award for best screenplay. Read the full article here.

John Cook offers new Fraud of the Rings parody contest

by Michael Martinez, Monday, January 7, 2002

Popular Web comic artist and SF parody specialist John Cook has released another Fraud of the Rings spoof. This time, fans are invited to submit a caption for a fight between Gandalf and Saruman. Punchline Name Email See more of John Cook's comics and other great comics at our SF News and Comics page.

What do the Nazgul look like off-duty?

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, January 6, 2002

The French Web site Numenoreen has some interesting pictures of the Lord of the Nazgul in his wraith form, without all the special effects blurring. Numenoreen's exclusive images section has five shots of the Lord of the Nazgul from Peter Jackson's "The Fellowship of the Ring". This might be a taste of Halloweens to come. Thanks to Jean Roger Filion for pointing out these images.

Unusual LoTR promos for Thailand

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, January 5, 2002

Ron Morris wrote in to let us know that his homepage has scans of special promotional images for 'The Lord of the Rings' in Thailand. The images are too small for us to make thumbnails which would show any detail for you, but you may see them here for now. Legolas is holding a bow with notched arrow. In the background is part of the map shown in the movie's prologue segment. Moria, Rivendell, and Lothlorien's names are clearly visible.

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