'Rings' Films Are More Special Than Their Effects -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 7:13 PM GMT
Re "Dazzling, Sure, but to What Effect?" Commentary, April 4: Before reading Denis Dutton's dyspeptic take on the "Lord of the Rings," my family and I had just finished a mammoth, nine-hour home viewing of Peter Jackson's film trilogy, end to end. Yes, we were dazzled, as always, but also moved, thrilled and exhilarated by the masterly storytelling on display, epic both in emotional and narrative terms. . . more
Sean to be shadowy figure -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 7:11 PM GMT
HOLLYWOOD heart-throb Sean Bean looks set to score a role in a forthcoming fantasy film which is tipped to rival Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
The Sheffield-born actor is rumoured to have been offered the role in the children's epic Shadowmancer, based on a book by Yorkshire vicar Graham Taylor – partly because they share a love of the Blades. Graham, 43, said: "I'm keen to get Sean Bean to play a character called Jacob Crane. . . more
Battle of the Rings -- in the library -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 7:07 PM GMT
BLOCKBUSTER hit movie The Lord of the Rings was filmed amid the stunning scenery of New Zealand.
But now the trilogy of movies has been recreated by pupils at Turton High School Media Arts College -- in the rather more mundane setting of the school library. . . more
Out of Hollywood, Rising Fascination With Video Games -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 7:05 PM GMT
Peter Jackson, who made "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, is entering the rarefied club of Hollywood movie directors who are expected to earn as much money — or even more — from helping create video games as from making movies. . . more
Astin, Anderson Headline 77th Bloom -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 6:58 AM GMT
From Cincinnati to Middle Earth, and from a beauty to Rudy, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival has tapped two poles for its grand marshals this year.
Loni Anderson and Sean Astin are the co-grand marshals for the 77th festival, President Kay Bolliger announced Friday in the basement of the Kurtz Building.....more
The Hobbit Petition and Letter-Writing Campaign -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 6:17 AM GMT
Fans are petitioning New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and United Artists to work out the film rights to The Hobbit, so Peter can make the movie.
Here is an excerpt from the petition:
We, the undersigned, wish to make clear our strong desire to see a quality film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Having spent the last three years in Middle-earth, under the spell of magician Peter Jackson and the wizards of Weta Workshop, we find ourselves only wanting more. The Tale of the Ring is incomplete without the story of It’s finding by Bilbo, and the other aspects of his adventure make for a captivating cinematic journey as well.
Fans know that the film rights reside with New Line, while distribution is the legal domain of MGM/United Artists. It would be heartbreaking for the fans to be denied this film, simply because of this rift in rights......
Narnia: NZ Television Spot Transcript & Photos -- Posted by kenzie on Saturday, April 10 2004 at 2:56 AM GMT
Frontwoman Judy Bailey: “First New Zealand was Middle-Earth, and now it’s about to change into another fantasy land, Narnia. A New Zealand director with a big Hollywood budget is about to transform a slice of west Auckland into the land dreamed up by C.S.Lewis. And today the welcome mat was laid out for the film crew.”
Lisa Glass reports: [Maori in traditional costume call out as part of welcome ritual known as a Powhiri. Adamson is seen stepping forward and stooping to pick up piece of greenery laid on ground as challenge – by picking it up he shows he comes in peace. School children in uniform respond to him with chant and actions. He smiles gently. Among his group is a woman with a baby in pink] Click here for more and pictures.
The Armageddon Pulp Culture Expo -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Friday, April 9 2004 at 9:29 PM GMT
More than 25,000 fans of sci-fi, fantasy, comics, cartoons, videogame and wrestling are expected to flock to the annual Armageddon Pulp Culture Expo next weekend. PATRICK CREWDSON goes behind the scenes
Lawrence Makoare is hands-down New Zealand's most menacing actor. . . . more
Early Review of Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing -- Posted by kenzie on Friday, April 9 2004 at 3:16 PM GMT
Scooper 'Doc' was able to attend an early, early screening of writer/director Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing, which hits theaters on May 7.
I just saw a screening of Van Helsing. Without giving anything away.... it kicks *ss. Sommers has really recreated an old monster movie and made it feel like an old horror film. The action and characters' personal struggles are awesome. He has also kept this to a action/adventure film, so there is no episodic type structure to it -- just a cool summer blockbuster that'll rock. The first scene in the film is a great hook. Just thought you guys might like to know what's in store for people next month.
The Universal Pictures action-adventure stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp.......source
Troy Character Banners Revealed -- Posted by kenzie on Friday, April 9 2004 at 3:13 PM GMT
Latino Review has up new character banners and the international poster for Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, which stars Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleeson, and Peter O'Toole. Click here for banners.
Billy Boyd in demand for singing as well as acting -- Posted by kenzie on Friday, April 9 2004 at 3:09 PM GMT
Billy Boyd has been telling how he is in great demand as a singer as well as an actor following his final appearance in The Lord of the Rings.
"Because of Pippin's song in Return of the King, I've been offered lots of singing stuff," he says. "I'm happy about that because I love to sing, it used to be my career before I started acting." It's believed his next single will be A Hard Hobbit To Break........source
Peter Jackson Talks About His Crowning Achievement -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 10:44 PM GMT
When New Zealand director-writer-producer Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners) first took on the daunting task of making a film of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, he says he tried to keep a simple vision foremost in his mind — “to make a film I’d enjoy seeing myself.” . . . more
Orlando on Premiere May Cover -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 10:36 PM GMT
PREMIERE MAGAZINE has Orlando Bloom on its May cover with the headline "Troy" Boy: Orlando Bloom Sexes Up an Epic. Well, that's the kind of squirmy copy you have to put up with when you're young, attractive and in the movies. The film's talented star Brad Pitt, who plays Achilles, has been dealing with an emphasis on his looks for more than 10 years.
'The Name's Bloom, Orlando Bloom' -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 10:35 PM GMT
There’s no doubt in the minds of our readers as to who should take over the screen role of secret agent James Bond when the time comes – Orlando Bloom is the people’s choice. . . . more
Electronic Arts' Richard Taylor -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 10:33 PM GMT
Nestled near the beach, barely a stone's throw from Hollywood, the video game mogul Electronic Arts has refashioned the way LA thinks about video game studios. Consistently beating out Hollywood profit margins and setting trends in "the biz," the game industry is a dominating force. In a land of corporate and Hollywood giants, EA reigns supreme. Here, the people who brought us “Command and Conquer: Generals” are hard at work on “Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth,” a real-time strategy game based on the popular movie trilogy. . . more
Elijah Wood Hindered By His Youthful Looks -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 8:21 PM GMT
The 23-year-old actor - who has been appearing on the big screen since the age of eight - hopes his boyish appearance will stand him in good stead in later life, but admits at present they're hindering his goals.
He says, "Looking young can be pretty helpful, because I get away with murder sometimes. "But I certainly lost the chance to do some parts because I looked too young for them, although it'll be great having a baby face when I'm older.....more
Speeding for a good Cause! -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 8:13 PM GMT
While the Snoopster and his LBC were no where to be found, a whole posse of celebs (most in full makeup) descended on downtown LB to participate in a mandatory practice session for the 28th Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Tuesday morning. Among the competing drivers were Sean Astin ("Lord of the Rings," "Rudy") (and more). Also on hand was Max Papis, a pro open wheel driver for Lexus.
"I'm not so sure that their instructors really like my tips," said Papis. "I think they wanted me to tell them that you have to be calm and you have to be this, but my tip for them was when in doubt, flat out."
Papis also helped handicap the 10-lap race for the media. "I like Dara. She's very fast and Sean, he's very funny," Papis said. "He told me he's going to kick my a - -."....more
Kruger Stunned By Suddenness Of Orlando's Fame -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 8:09 PM GMT
Kruger - who plays lead character Helen of Troy in the upcoming movie - was stunned by Orlando's sudden rise to sex symbol status when his film Pirates of teh Caribbean topped the box office midway through the shoot.
The former ballet dancer from Germany says, "When we started shooting, no one really knew who he was - he's made Lord of the Rings but he looked so different in that.....more
Elijah Wood wants to produce and direct -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Thursday, April 8 2004 at 8:08 PM GMT
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood plans on stretching himself in the future by directing, producing and getting married - but insists his twenties are for travelling.
He says, "I would love to produce and direct films. I would like to have a record label, too. "And I'd like to take photography a little more seriously, I look forward to being married one day and I can't wait to have a family too. "But I want to reserve my twenties for travelling and experiencing new things." source
Bret McKenzie- 'The Video Kid' & Internet Elf Celebrity -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 11:26 PM GMT
Bret McKenzie is a very busy man. . . . As well as being a ubiquitous presence in the Wellington music scene, Bret is well known to theatregoers and has recently found international fame for his brief but memorable appearance in The Lord of the Rings. Bret is now releasing his debut solo album ‘PROTOTYPE’ under the name THE VIDEO KID. . . . more
Rings Star's DVD Scoop! -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 11:21 PM GMT
Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd exchanged his hobbit feet for sea legs when he climbed aboard Peter Weir's high-seas epic, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which arrives on DVD April 20. While the Scottish actor wasn't initially enamored of the ocean, by the time filming ended, he discovered that a sailor's life might just be for him. . . . more
Dinner Date - Who Would You Want? -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 11:18 PM GMT
YOU’RE HOSTING AN IMAGINARY DINNER PARTY AND CAN INVITE ANYONE IN THE WORLD, LIVING OR DEAD, TO YOUR HOUSE FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY...
Q. WHO WOULD BE ON YOUR INVITATION LIST – AND WHY?
“I suppose I should say important leaders and people like that, but I’m not interested in politics, so I’ll go for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings cast instead. . . more
Sound and fury seeking a tale -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 11:16 PM GMT
IN New Zealand, Peter Jackson is the man of the moment. His managerial capacities and showman's instincts have allowed him, we like to think, to beat Hollywood's hot shots at their own game. He has given hundreds of inventive New Zealanders worthwhile, lucrative work and enhanced tourism. . . . more
Peter Jackson Talks About His Crowning Achievement -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 9:17 PM GMT
What’s next for you? After King Kong, I have five or six movies that I would like to do. I don’t know which order I will do them in but at some point I’d like to do another zombie movie because I’m such a big horror fan and nobody seems to be making zombie ones anymore. It’s a genre that’s died out. I figure it would be great to do one again.
How far along are you with King Kong? Not very far yet. Weta’s been working on the visual effects for the past few months, and we’ve done a bit of planning and previsualizing. We’re going to start seriously getting into pre-production in the early part of the year once we finally wind down on this, and we plan to start shooting in August......more
Radagast's Ramblings: Why is Middle Earth so popular? -- Posted by Radagast on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 3:23 PM GMT
Tolkien wasn’t an author by profession. So how come his books become the perhaps most popular of all time? What is it about Middle Earth that makes thousands of people around the world get so excited?
There is no doubt that we always love a good story about the fight between good and evil, but I think it goes deeper than that. When people claim they love The Lord of the Rings maybe what they really mean is, they love Middle Earth. I can’t speak for everyone but I think it’s the complexity of Middle Earth that makes it so popular and intriguing.
A complete universe that is almost as detailed as our own world. It is fascinating in so many ways. When you “enter” Middle Earth, it is a total escape from the world we live in. It is a whole new and different world, where you can experience all the things you weren’t able to in our real world, this makes Middle Earth a safe and exciting place to be. It’s like an alternative world, only better. This is definitely one of the main reasons as to why I love Middle Earth. And how many of you haven’t said at least once “I wish I could live in Middle Earth.”
Some people say that we – the fans - are running away from our responsibilities by escaping to an imaginable universe… it’s quite the opposite. We escape to recharge and find inspiration only to empower when facing life’s difficult challenges.
But on top of the complexity and joy of “being” in the Middle Earth there is still one vital difference that could also explain why Middle Earth is so popular.
In Middle Earth power is evil, meaning if you have a powerful object such as the ring you mustn’t use it, because if you use that power you will become evil. That is why the ring must be destroyed. This is exactly one of Tolkien’s messages, which is so different from our own world. In our own world “power” would never be treated in the same way. People would say that power could be used to do good, power could help defeat evil. With these two things compared, Tolkien created a whole new way of seeing things. Many fans enjoy exactly this because it contrasts with the real world.
Mystery surrounds ferret man -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 8:45 AM GMT
If you watch the Prancing Pony scene in "Fellowship of the Ring," you'll notice a wily old man brandishing a ferret. Apparently, the director, the cinematographer and the gaffer all felt that it was necessary to devote an entire camera shot to this enigmatic shadow-dweller and his undoubtedly bitey friend. Who is he? As a viewer, I need more info.
I demand character development. Where'd this guy get a ferret? What's the ferret's name? Maybe the ferret is a puppet. Maybe the guy is a robot. Maybe the ferret is a robot ferret being controlled by an elite cadre of real ferrets who are manipulating robo-ferret from within a puppet that resembles a wily old man. For the love of God, what is the purpose of this scene?....more
Email Issues***** -- Posted by Illuvatar on Wednesday, April 7 2004 at 5:46 AM GMT
This announcement concerns the rejection of emails from War of the Ring by ISP's such as AOL, Hotmail, etc.
We have been having our normal emails such as registration, subscription, and announcement emails rejected by ISP's around the world, and I wanted to post this to let you know that we are aggressively working this issue.
The problems we are having has to do with the fact that due to another site that was being hosted by our host company being involved in a spamming scheme, all sites by this host were placed on the SpamCop and Spews listings, and as a result most ISP's are currently blocking emails generated from our site as well.
We have taken action and have been removed from those listings, but until all of the ISP's update theirs, we will continue to have these kinds of issues.
We would like to apologies for the inconvenience.
Once ISP's like AOL stop blocking our mails, you should start receiving notifications as normal.
If you are expecting a email confirmation for your registration for our Community Forum, and have not received it within a few hours of registering, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at Illuvatar@warofthering.net and I will manually activate your registration.
Bloom's 'Elizabethtown' Family Adds Greer, Sarandon -- Posted by kenzie on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 11:48 PM GMT
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -- Orlando Bloom's family is growing bigger in the Cameron Crowe upcoming drama "Elizabethtown."
Zap2it.com has confirmed Saturday (April 3) that the story about a suicidal Southern young man played by Bloom will have "Adaptation" actress Judy Greer portraying his sister, and Paramount Pictures is negotiating for Susan Sarandon to play their mother.
The film, scheduled for 2005, is Crowe's first film since 2001's "Vanilla Sky." He also directed "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous.".....source
Narnia: West Auckland now Westie-Wood -- Posted by kenzie on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 11:42 PM GMT
West Auckland is set to transform into the fantasy world of Narnia after the makers of Walt Disney's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" arrived in New Zealand.
The film's director Andrew Adamson, the brains behind Shrek and the upcoming Shrek 2, and about 40 crew were welcomed onto Hoani Waititi marae in West Auckland Tuesday morning.
They will be based in Henderson for the film adaptation of the classic CS Lewis book, written more than half a century ago. Adamson says they will employ mainly New Zealand crew before filming starts in June.
"We'll have probably have 85-90% New Zealand crew. We are lucky that there is a strong New Zealand film community," Adamson said. With production expected to take at least six months, the economic spin-offs has the local council excited......more
LOTR Symphony in Sydney -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 11:07 PM GMT
The Sydney Opera House will be hosting the Lord of the Rings Symphony 17, 18 & 19 June 2004. The concert will be accompanied by imagery from John Howe and Alan Lee, via never-before-seen storyboards projected onto the ceiling during the concert.
More information, including ticket purchase details, are available here
Competing with PJ -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 8:05 PM GMT
On the downside, filming in New Zealand meant The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was competing with Peter Jackson's King Kong remake for crew members.
"A lot of those guys have come through the Battle of Britain with Peter Jackson so obviously they have their own loyalties," said Adamson. full article
Photo Forum reopens! -- Posted by Illuvatar on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 8:07 AM GMT
I am very pleased to announce that we have successfully completed the upgrade of our Photo Forum software,as it was needed after the upgrade of our Community Forums!
All of the issues that were preventing folks from logging in and uploading photos have been fixed by this upgrade, and there are some nice new features as well.
Please note that you will have to login again the first time you stop by.
We thank you very much for your patience whilst it's been closed, and I hope that the withdrawals have not been too intense!
Pippin sails to stardom -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 5:04 AM GMT
IT'S one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, scooping 11 Oscars and launching the careers of its largely unknown cast.
And Lord Of The Rings star Billy Boyd - who plays brave Pippin in the blockbusting trilogy and also stars in Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World - says his life has changed dramatically since playing the hairy hobbit.
"I am constantly amazed by how many people have taken the Rings movies into their hearts. They refer to it everyday and even use certain words and terms from the film when they're talking," he told us in an exclusive interview.....more (thanks to kathleen)
Box Office: ROTK hits $1.100.000.000! -- Posted by Radagast on Tuesday, April 6 2004 at 1:22 AM GMT
New figures are here. ROTK is beginning to drop rapidly around the world. This week ROTK dropped -39.1%. Despite the downfall, there is one country that continues to amaze... Japan.
This weekend in Japan, ROTK grossed $2,234,354 from 614 screens dropping only -16.4%. And after eight weeks ROTK has grossed $82,779,550 and is still Number One. Well done Japan!
The International gross is now $725.300.000 and the USA gross is $375.200.000.
In total, ROTK's worldwide gross is... $1.100.500.000
The Passion is still showing power and stamina. This week it had the 15th biggest 6th weekend ever. ROTK isn't even in the Top 20 on that list.
Therefore fellow Ring-fans... Help ROTK, beat The Passion with one last great turnout, before it is taken out of theatres.
Narnia: Weta Wokshops In, Weta Digital Out -- Posted by kenzie on Monday, April 5 2004 at 9:47 PM GMT
NarniaWeb has confirmed that Weta Wokshops is working on the film but that Weta Digital is not involved. Weta Workshops, physical effects, is in charge of building props for the film, but the other half of Weta, Weta Digital, is not involved. Rhythm & Hues will be in charge of most of the computer animation for the film. A source at Rhythm & Hues confirmed that they were awarded the project two months ago, although it has just been announced in the last week.
A few small sequences may still be farmed out to other effect houses.
In other news, NarniaWeb has also confirmed that the shooting title has changed to "Paravel" from "The Hundred Years Winter" and that Lamp Post Productions is the New Zealand-based production company for the film........source
Rhys-Davies, Boatman Report for Pilot Duty -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Monday, April 5 2004 at 9:12 PM GMT
John Rhys-Davis, who played Gimli in Peter Jackson (news)'s "Lord of Rings" saga, has been tapped to co-star in NBC's drama pilot "Revelations," which centers on a group's efforts to forestall the apocalypse. . . more
THE ULTIMATE FAN -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Monday, April 5 2004 at 9:04 PM GMT
Actor Elijah Wood is learning all about being a die-hard footie fan from the experts – us. The Lord Of The Rings star is in London filming his next movie, in which he plays an American student who gets caught up in football hooliganism. . . more
VIGGO SCARRED BY ALADDIN SANE ACCIDENT -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Monday, April 5 2004 at 9:00 PM GMT
VIGGO MORTENSEN still shudders when he sees images of DAVID BOWIE as ALADDIN SANE, because it brings back painful memories of the time he ripped his face open.
The LORD OF THE RINGS star was dressed up as the musical alter-ego for a Halloween party when he drunkenly fell into a barbed wire fence when he was 17. . . more
Lord of the Rings firm soars to top of profits league -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Monday, April 5 2004 at 8:50 PM GMT
MORE THAN 50 years since it was published, JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings remains one of Britain’s most loved stories, and now it has reached No 1 again.
But this time it has topped the business charts: the company that owns the UK rights to the Lord of the Rings films has the fastest-growing profits in the Sunday Times Profit Track league table for 2004. . . . more
Viggo Mortensen is single but fussy -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Monday, April 5 2004 at 8:48 PM GMT
Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen puts his single status down to his fussy and passionate nature.
The 45-year-old has been single since his 1997 divorce from singer Exene Cervenka, and is keen to stay alone until he meets a woman who can liv . . moree up to his high standards.
Box Office: ROTK still Number One in Japan! -- Posted by Radagast on Monday, April 5 2004 at 6:33 PM GMT
Despite competition from other movies, ROTK still leads the Japanese Box Office for its seventh straight week. ROTK's total gross in Japan is now $79,254,889. That is 13,8% better than TTT's lifetime gross in Japan.
Worldwide, ROTK has grossed $1,098,443,760 and when the last figures arrive ROTK is predicted to reach an amazing $1,100,000,000.
Hidalgo dropped -52,7% in the USA compared to last weeks gross, and the worlwide gross is $71,011,000.
Mel Gibson and his Passion of the Christ is still showing tremendous stamina in America. The Passion is now Number 10 on the All Time USA gross. Experts predict that its only a matter of few weeks before The Passion outgrosses ROTK in America.
Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Many Bags Full -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Monday, April 5 2004 at 6:18 AM GMT
The Creative Coalition took a cue from the Oscars for its Tuesday night fundraiser in Georgetown by showering patrons with gifts galore.
For donations of $500 to $10,000, guests -- including Sean Astin -- received 15 to 25 green tickets that could be traded for goodies like diamond money clips, spa treatments in France and a room makeover worth $5,000 from B&B Italia, the furniture store that hosted the bash. "I've learned that in the Astin household whatever gift bags I get go directly to my wife and two daughters," said the movie Hobbit. source
On Movies | Role model had special effect on 'Rings' -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 9:58 PM GMT
One could make the case that there would be no Lord of the Rings trilogy - with its wagonload of Oscars and worldwide league of fans - without RayHarryhausen. Although the special-effects maestro, 82 now and retired in London, had nothing to do with the making of the epic fantasy series adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien'stomes, the guy who did make them, director Peter Jackson, credits his initial, obsessive, interest in films to one man. . . more
NZ: Investment in films expected to fall this year -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 8:59 PM GMT
New Zealand's film and television industry is likely to see a drop in investment this year, a new report says.
The report Survey of Screen Production in New Zealand 2003 showed that about $450 million was spent on productions between April 2002 and March 2003 - about the same as the previous financial year. . . more
Bio of 'Rings' overlord more a homage -- Posted by Nienna_Miriel on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 8:57 PM GMT
Ignore those matching waistlines. Peter Jackson is no Orson Welles.
Welles, an intense actor and film director, was a tall and cosmopolitan man who wore shoes. Jackson, more of a director than actor, is fashion-unconscious, callus-soled and, well, hobbit-shaped. . . . more
‘Lord of the Rings’ to Rule Iranian Art Bureau -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 8:17 PM GMT
TEHRAN –- The Art Bureau, the Iranian giant in art and cultural field plans to screen New Line Cinema’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) on April 10.
The film is due to be reviewed by Iranian film critics during a session at the Art Bureau, which is affiliated to the Islamic Ideological Dissemination Organization.....more
The Hobbit Petition and Letter-Writing Campaign -- Posted by Dawn_Noelle on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 8:14 PM GMT
Fans are petitioning New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and United Artists to work out the film rights to The Hobbit, so Peter can make the movie.
Here is an excerpt from the petition:
We, the undersigned, wish to make clear our strong desire to see a quality film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Having spent the last three years in Middle-earth, under the spell of magician Peter Jackson and the wizards of Weta Workshop, we find ourselves only wanting more. The Tale of the Ring is incomplete without the story of It’s finding by Bilbo, and the other aspects of his adventure make for a captivating cinematic journey as well.
Fans know that the film rights reside with New Line, while distribution is the legal domain of MGM/United Artists. It would be heartbreaking for the fans to be denied this film, simply because of this rift in rights......
War of the Ring Community Forum Reopens! -- Posted by Illuvatar on Sunday, April 4 2004 at 6:51 AM GMT
I am very pleased to announce that I have successfully completed the upgrade of our forum software, and we have just reopened the Community Forums!
We thank you very much for your patience whilst we've been closed, and I hope that the withdrawals have not been too intense!
I've sent an email to all forum members, but I also wanted to post this here as well, just in case there is a problem with your ISP receiving forum mailers.
We've been looking forward to this updated version of VBulletin and I sincerely hope that you enjoy some of the new features available.
Thank you again for your patience, and I look forward to seeing you all on the boards!
