On Gandalf and the Vuvuzela

How many times have I watched this? I don’t know, because each time I do I start rolling on the floor laughing. What happens when the World Cup is held in Middle-Earth? That provocative question is answered in… The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Vuvuzela. Not coming to a theater near you.Continue reading “On Gandalf and the Vuvuzela”

On New Tolkien

In May, HarperCollins is bringing out a new book by J.R.R. Tolkien. However, it’s not another Middle-Earth book, as there’s probably nothing else on the subject to publish. Instead, it’s something rather different. And for me, rather interesting. In the 1920’s, Professor Tolkien worked on a version of the Volsung Saga, The Legend of SigurdContinue reading “On New Tolkien”

On the Start of the New (Hobbit) Year

Happy New Year! In the Shire, anyway. 🙂 If we were Hobbits, if we lived in the Shire, today would be the first day of the new year, the 2nd of the month of Yule. Yule is a strange month. It’s only two days long. The first of Yule is the last day of theContinue reading “On the Start of the New (Hobbit) Year”

On Guillermo del Toro and the Hobbit Movies

I found myself antsy this week. This is the week that Guillermo del Toro’s deal to direct The Hobbit duology has to be made. He’s said as much in interviews. If it’s not this week, The Hobbit will happen, but not with del Toro. I keep checking TheOneRing.net. Daily. Even hourly. Maybe there’s been movement.Continue reading “On Guillermo del Toro and the Hobbit Movies”

On Visiting an Old Friend

Yesterday was the anniversary of the fall of Barad-Dûr, and in commemoration of that I decided I would watch The Return of the King. I hadn’t watched the film in far too long — nearly two years — and I found that I missed things from the Extended Edition, as it was the theatrical editionContinue reading “On Visiting an Old Friend”

On Two Calendars

A bit more than a year ago, I was anxiously anticipating the Lord of the Rings video game, The White Council. An open-ending role-playing game, along the line of Morrowind, The White Council would have put gamers in the role of a character in the period a few decades prior to The Lord of theContinue reading “On Two Calendars”

On The Hobbit Sequel

Following up on yesterday’s announcement from MGM and New Line that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson will be producing two Hobbit films, I wanted to muse, for a few moments, on what those two Hobbit films will be. It’s been rumored for a while that MGM wanted two Hobbit films — indeed, theirContinue reading “On The Hobbit Sequel”

On The Hobbit Film Duology

The Hobbit movie. The long-rumored two-film plan. Peter Jackson. It’s happening! I’ll quote the whole damn thing: LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. ; Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that theyContinue reading “On The Hobbit Film Duology”