Glass Hammer may have shot at movies

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, February 11, 2001

From Glass Hammer: Hi folks, Here is the latest spy report from Glass Hammer. Tolkien fanatics may find it relevant. ***** While the composer for the upcoming Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies was chosen months ago, Tolkien fans may still see their favorite group playing a limited role in one of the films. According to the 'buzz', certain well-connected 'lords' of the sci-fi \ fantasy community are placing Glass Hammer's music directly in the hands of director Peter Jackson. Another rumor floating around points to a meeting between Jackson and Glass Hammer writers Babb and Schendel that is to occur later this year. These are only 'rumors', and the band will not confirm or deny their validity. Steve Babb of Glass Hammer did give us this much... "Our first connection with Mr. Jackson fell through. However, something has opened up lately; something we weren't actually expecting." In other news, the new album "Live From Middle Earth" is expected to be available sometime this spring.

Christopher Lee talks to the fans

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, February 11, 2001

Can we trust Peter Jacksonīs vision? Check out Lee's realmedia response.

Pasta la feasta, baby

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, February 11, 2001

How much attention did J.R.R. Tolkien pay to food in Middle-earth? That question comes up fairly often, usually with respect to the Elves. Most people think the Elves were vegetarians, although nothing could be farther from the truth. Well, it's true that the Green-elves of Ossiriand didn't eat meat, but they're about the only ones. As with so many other aspects of Middle-earth, Tolkien didn't limit himself in the kinds of dishes enjoyed by his characters. The hobbits snuck in a few distinctly "English" plates (such as the fish and chips Sam offered to cook for Gollum). But there were some exotic dishes on the menu. For example, the honey-cakes that Beorn gave to Thorin and Company have elicited a lot of curiosity from fans. What's the recipe? I doubt Tolkien had a specific recipe in mind, to be honest. But he probably knew that honey is a pretty good food (for most people, but only a few ancient civilizations would have been concerned about diabetes). Honey even has medicinal properties, although I doubt Tolkien would have had his characters smear honey on their wounds (it's a natural antiseptic, used in ancient Egypt for that purpose). In fact, honey cakes are a historical food, having been invented or improved upon by many cultures. Beorn's honey cakes have long intrigued Tolkien fans who would love to try them, but I've never come across the Beorning honey cake recipe. I don't believe there was one, unless Tolkien had sampled a honey cake and decided to include it in his story about Bilbo Baggins. Read the full article here.

Ain't It Cool News talks with Andy Serkis (Gollum)

by Michael Martinez, Friday, February 9, 2001

Read the Ain't It Cool News article.

J.R.R. Tolkien and Marion Zimmer Bradley make music

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, February 7, 2001

The legendary fantasy author Marion Zimmer Bradley turned her musical talents upon Tolkien's world before she passed away. Now Flowing Glass Music has released a CD which features songs from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit set to music by MZB. We received the following announcement: Flowinglass Music is proud to announce the release of THE STARLIT JEWEL, a new CD featuring songs from Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT, with music written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, bestselling author of THE MISTS OF AVALON. The Celtic and Medieval-flavored song settings are performed by the band Broceliande, on harp, pipes, vocals, and other Middle Earth instruments. This CD is fully authorized by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. For ordering information and sound files, go to http://www.flowinglass.com/sjewel.html.

Latest news roundup

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, February 3, 2001

Principal photography ended on Friday, January 26, 2001. Peter Jackson gave an interview on TV3 in New Zealand (picked up in Ireland as well) in which he shared his feelings about having come so far on history's largest film project. A Quicktime version of the theatrical trailer is now available on Apple's Web site. Tolkien Online and other sites picked up a story about a possible Lord of the Rings museum in New Zealand. Discussions are still underway between the City of Wellington and New Line Cinema. TheOneRing.Net and other sites picked up an Andy Serkis interview in which he talked about Gollum. Toy Vault re-issued two of its popular Middle-earth action figures. A number of Web sites mistook the re-issue for new releases. Tolkien Online and other Web sites picked up a story about a gathering sponsored by Mithril to be held in America. TheOneRing.Net has updated its frame-by-frame analysis of the theatrical trailer. America Online, New Line Cinema, and Time-Warner have announced many layoffs in the wake of the AOL/Time Warner merger. Such retrenchements are common after companies merge, but many people are also blaming huge losses at New Line Cinema in 2000 for part of the layoffs. Michael DeLuca, the New Line executive who brought the "Lord of the Rings" movies to New Line, has been fired.

Sideshow Toy teams with Weta Workshop

by Michael Martinez, Friday, February 2, 2001

In what is surely one of the most creative theatrical licensing deals ever, Sideshow Toy of Westlake Village, CA has partnered with Weta Workshop of New Zealand to develop multiple lines of polystone collectibles based on the upcoming film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. What makes this deal so unique is that it may be the first time a U.S. based toy company has partnered with the special effects company that created the effects for the licensed film property. The Sideshow / Weta collaboration will be responsible for the development and marketing of five lines of polystone collectibles: statues, busts, miniature weapons, miniature armor, & wall plaques. Read the entire press release at Xenite.Org.

Trampling the legacy, remaking the myth

by Michael Martinez, Friday, February 2, 2001

If there is any one element of modern fantasy entertainment which has done harm to the reputation of Tolkien's Middle-earth I would have to say it was Dungeons and Dragons. The fault is not entirely with the people who designed the original game, unless it be that they dared touch upon the works of Tolkien at all. Rather, given that they were forced to make changes to the game to avoid infringing upon trademarks and copyrights, the Dungeons and Dragons designers produced a hybrid vision of Middle-earth's creatures which wasn't really intended to be a statement about Tolkien. That is, they moved on, but took with them elements of Middle-earth which seemed universal, or which were adaptable to a different model of creativity. And then Dungeons and Dragons became a big phenomenon. Perhaps many people in today's gaming community doesn't think much of DnD because it was more what Mom and Dad were into. But Dungeons and Dragons brought fantasy alive for many people. We moved beyond the books and into the worlds of imagination we thought no one could share with us. Unfortunately, Dungeons and Dragons became popular enough to impose some stereotypes on the fannish community which have persisted until today. That is, Elves are seen as creatures of habit, not as creatures of imagination and art. Dwarves are seen as creatures of temperament and not as creatures of judgement. A typical DnD adventuring party would usually include a Dwarven fighter and an Elven Ranger. Half-elf Rangers also abounded. Men fought or served as Clerics, too. The presumption of Class and Profession permeated the popular imagination and took readers away from the universal optimism which Tolkien advanced. Read the full article here.

Force of Hobbit updates

by Michael Martinez, Thursday, February 1, 2001

E! Online updated its Force of Hobbit Web site with an interview between John Forde and Peter Jackson. Forde's "Ask the Insider" section for February features his latest gaffe, where he misinterprets a fan question about the Rankin/Bass "Hobbit" special as referring to the Ralph Bakshi "Lord of the Rings" movie. The Peter Jackson interview is handled as a straight Q&A section. John Rhys-Davies will provide the voice for Treebeard and is scheduled to return to New Zealand for that role later this year. JRD has been playing Gimli the Dwarf.

Ithilien, Moon over Gondor

by Michael Martinez, Friday, January 26, 2001

I've always wondered what Ithilien must have looked like when it was full of people. The changing political landscape would have an economic impact on Ithilien, and that in turn would lead to population changes. The first people to inhabit the region would have been Nandor. It's entirely possible that they all left in the First Age, joining Denethor's migration to Beleriand. But it may also be that some clans remained behind. There could have been one, two, or more small Elven realms or tribes in the region as late as the War of the Elves and Sauron. At that time matters would have changed. Most likely the Elves would not have migrated south of Emyn Arnen. We don't know much about the geography of South Ithilien but the region doesn't seem to invite habitation by Elves. Cair Andros would be the easiest place for the Elves to cross the river and visit such of their relatives as remained in Anorien, Calenardhon, and other areas close by. In fact, given the geography of the land to the north of Ithilien, it may be that any early Elves would have arrived there by passing through Calenardhon and Anorien and crossing the river at Cair Andros. When Sauron launched his war against the Elves he sent armies north to Greenwood the Great and the adjoining lands and across Anduin to Calenardhon. He may have secured Cair Andros, at least as a precaution against any possible attacks from Anorien and the lands beyond the Ered Nimrais. It does appear, based on his line of retreat several years later, that Sauron used the Undeeps as a crossing point. The lands between Cair Andros and Emyn Arnen would have been ideal for an Elven realm founded by the Sindar, so it seems unlikely Sauron would have ignored the region. He may have sent an army rampaging through the area as part of his overall strategy. Read the full article here.

Beware that baker in the kitchen!

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, January 24, 2001

There's nothing like a good villain in Tolkien and, unfortunately, he has so few of them. Now, before people go hanging me, let me say that I think Tolkien intentionally kept the good villains to a minimum. The really evil folk were rare because they were corrupting and manipulating everyone else toward evil. Neither Melkor nor Sauron would have tolerated a rival Dark Lord. Almost all the other guys were just their minions. It's debatable whether the Balrog of Moria was really serving Sauron in the Third Age. But Tolkien's evil is different from the evil in most stories. He is not focusing on evil in human beings. He is focusing on external evil, what he sometimes calld Evil Incarnate. One would almost expect to hear those words reverberate when he spoke them. Thunder should peal from the heavens, and clouds should block the sun. Melkor and Sauron may have been good to begin with, but they walked down that dark path ahead of everyone else. Heck, Melkor blazed the trail and Sauron widened it. There is human evil in Middle-earth: greed, avarice, pride, and so on. Kings and heroes can easily run amok and leave the path of Goodness and Light. Tolkien derives his tragedy from these human characters. But neither Melkor nor Sauron is tragic, though they could be. That is, there is no regret over the fall of these two once truly great and magnificent beings. They were Ainur, angels, children of the thought of Iluvatar before there was Time, before the Children of Iluvatar were brought into being. They weren't always dark, but were once of the light. And yet the choices they made led them down into destruction. Their corruption wasn't a foregone conclusion. On the other hand, there is nothing of petty evil in Tolkien. No one gets mad at the village and poisons their bread, so to speak, in a petty act of revenge over cheap shots and insults. All acts of evil are universally despised. People have a sense of what is right and wrong, and they generally try to live by it. Except for "those other guys", the enemy. In every war, the victors are the good guys in their own sight. So Sauron's followers undoubtedly enjoyed the successes they experienced because they were on the right side. It was the evil Elves and the domineering Dunedain who needed to be destroyed. Read the entire article here.

Sir Ian McKellen updates Grey Book

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, January 23, 2001

Sir Ian McKellen added another entry to the famed Grey Book section on his personal Web site. McKellen talks about the filming which took place at the outdoor Edoras set.

Glass Hammer to perform at Dragoncon

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, January 21, 2001

Glass Hammer, the progressive rock band from Tennessee, has been titillating Tolkien fans with their upcoming "Live from Middle-earth" CD. Now word comes they will be peforming at Dragoncon in Atlanta this September. The official Dragoncon Web site lists Glass Hammer as guests who will be performing in concert. Details have not yet been published. Steve Babb and Fred Schendel gave a panel for Dragoncon's Tolkien and Middle-earth track in 2000. They played some of their music from "Journey of the Dunadan", their first CD (recently rereleased). "Dunadan" was a tribute to Tolkien and based on the travels of Aragorn. The presentation also included a video for the CD based on the song "The Way to her Heart", about Aragorn's (at first unrequited) love for Arwen. The group's second CD, "Perelandra", was a tribute to the books of C.S. Lewis, longtime Tolkien friend and confident. Had it not been for Lewis' encouragement, J.R.R. Tolkien might never have published The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Glass Hammer's most recent CD, "Chronometree", was released in 2000. The artists are a progressive rock band. Dragoncon is North America's largest fan-run science fiction and fantasy convention, boasting an annual attendance of more than 35,000 people. It will be held in Atlanta, GA from August 31 through September 3, 2001. Full details are provided on the official Web site.

Shhh! It's a secret Ring!

by Michael Martinez, Friday, January 19, 2001

I get asked a lot of questions about Tolkien's world, and sometimes I just file the really interesting ones away for future reference. But the other day someone asked me something I don't believe I've ever come across before. Who knew about the Rings? A very astute reader pointed out to me that Boromir recognized the Ring immediately, Faramir figured out there was a Ring which concerned Gandalf, Denethor seemed to know all about it...when it comes right down to it, everyone who comes into contact with Frodo seems to know about "the precious Ring" (as Bombadil called it). If I may borrow from one of the comparisons Tolkien so detested, it's almost equivalent to every gas station attendant along Route 66 asking J. Robert Oppenheimer if they can have a look at Fat Man and Little Boy as he is driving to Los Alamos. Sauron's Ring was supposed to be a big secret, yet so many people whom Frodo encountered seemed to know about it. Gildor Inglorion figured out what was going on (and how he knew Frodo was "bearing a great burden without guidance", as Glorfindel put it, is never explained anywhere). How would it come about that so many people should know something about the One Ring at the end of the Third Age, especially considering that it had been lost to the knowledge of those who were most concerned with it for three thousand years? The answer must lie in the days of Elendil and Gil-galad, when they first put together their great alliance. Tolkien wrote very little about what actually happened, but we know that Sauron attacked Gondor and took Minas Ithil. Isildur escaped with his wife and sons. Anarion fortified Anduin and held off Sauron's forces while Isildur sailed to Arnor. There Isildur consulted with Elendil and Elendil in turn consulted with Gil-galad. Read the full article here.

One Trailer to Find Them All and Kill Them All with Laughter

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, January 17, 2001

So you were disappointed with the official trailer, Bunky? We've found something that will rock your socks, booby! Modern Humorist has decided to give fans a sneak preview of what's in store. You've never seen J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings depicted so honestly, so sardonically. You haven't laughed until you've laughed at the credits they unveil. What's next, Hobbit City? Back to Middle-earth? Dude, where's our trailer? It's at Modern Humorist!

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