May 17, 2008 - from the storyteller...
Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
The long years have passed like swift draughts
mi oromardi lissë-miruvóreva
of the sweet mead in lofty halls...
Westu hál!
pondered at 5:00 pm Saturday
April 30, 2008 - from The Two Towers EE second disk - Éowyn's Lament
(Théodred's body is brought to the graves of past kings, carried on the shoulders of Rohirrim. The townspeople are gathered, making a slow procession behind the body. Éowyn is seen waiting at the open tomb with the other women. As Théodred's body is passed through hands into the tomb, Eowyn bursts into a heartfelt chant.)
Éowyn:
Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended
An evil death has set forth the noble warrior
giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende
A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels
on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære
in Meduseld that he is no more,
his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost.
to his lord dearest and kinsmen most belover.
Bealo...
An evil death...
(The tomb is shut, blocking out the sound of Eowyn's chant.)
pondered at 4:00 pm Wednesday
April 26, 2008 - Director Guillermo del Toro will spend four years in New Zealand making two films based on The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit
"The official announcement was made in Hollywood by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson - who will co-produce The Hobbit - fellow producer Fran Walsh, and executives from New Line Cinema and MGM.
Jackson and Walsh said del Toro was 'a genuine storyteller' of outstanding ability.
'A true original, Guillermo is a cinematic magician who has never lost his child-like sense of wonder. He understands that the fantastic must be grounded in the real and that all stories are only ever a reflection of ourselves,' say Jackson and Walsh.
'We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-earth. We are delighted The Hobbit is in such trustworthy hands.'
Del Toro said he considered himself 'blessed' to become part of the filmmaking community in New Zealand.
The Mexican-born filmmaker will base himself in New Zealand for four years to work with Wingnut Films and Weta production teams. The two films will be shot back to back.
Del Toro's films include The Devil's Backbone, Blade II, and the Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth. His latest movie, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is due for release in July."
-Well if PJ isn't going to direct, at least he's co-producing the films. I've enjoyed Guillermo's films, but he has a brutality in his films that's different from Peter's style. It's a small book to make 2 films of, but I will see both and eagerly await them.
pondered at 3:25 pm Saturday
Nov. 30, 2007 - SMALL HOBBITS, GIANT GORILLAS
AND OTHER ADVENTURES OF A CYBER ACTOR
A Unique Opportunity to attend an exclusive event, hosted by Andy Serkis in aid of Barnardo's
Saturday, 8th December 2007
Soho Hotel, Richmond Mews, Soho, London W1
On behalf of Barnardo's, Andy would like to invite you to attend an exclusive event entitled "Small Hobbits, Giant Gorillas, and Other Adventures Of A Cyber Actor." In 1999, Andy's life as a conventional actor was to change course by accepting the role of the schizoid, addicted, lonely outcast "Gollum" in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Over the course of the next seven years he would become part of a pioneering digital acting movement known as performance capture, which would take him onto playing the title role in King Kong, and then to direct and perform in Sony Playstation 3's Heavenly Sword. With more digital roles on the way and a keen desire to take the art form to even greater heights, Andy shares a fascinating sessions of storytelling, discussion along with a visual presentation, looking back on the developments of the craft, followed by the opportunity for intimate meeting and greeting with guests at one of London's hottest film industry hangouts, The Soho Hotel. Andy will also be auctioning off some prized memorabilia from the films he has worked on. This promises to be a very special occasion.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting this event to raise money for a charity that has proven itself to be a vital and much needed safety net for children and young people who struggle daily with life that is far from comfortable. The committed and unswerving work of Barnardo's really can pull these innocents back from the brink, offer real help and rehabilitation, and by nurturing their wellbeing, show them a way to a brighter, safer future. So please do come along to this event, bring a friend or even better a group of friends, and let's have a...well, precious occasion!"
Andy will be hosting two of these special sessions:
Lunchtime Session (limited to 100 guests) starts at 1 p.m. Tickets £30
Evening Session (limited to 45 guests) starts at 6 p.m. and includes a glass of champagne and canapés. Tickets £60.
Book Now! To book your tickets email Edward.Teather@barnardos.org.uk or
Telephone: 020 8498 7469
From US: 011 44 208 498 7469
Must book by 6 December!
pondered at 3:55 pm Friday
Aug 27, 2007 - Hobbit studio sweet-talks Jackson
Peter Jackson may make The Hobbit after all, despite a financial battle with the studio that commissioned him to film The Lord of the Rings.
Bob Shaye, head of New Line Cinema, has told The Los Angeles Times that the studio - which Jackson has sued for profits from The Lord of the Rings trilogy - has been in talks with Jackson's representatives in a bid to mend fences and get him to direct The Hobbit.
"Notwithstanding our personal quarrels, I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit," Mr Shaye said. Read more...
pondered at 4:55 pm Monday
June 18, 2007 - LOTR actors seeking merchandising royalties
New Zealand Lord of the Rings actors have followed director Peter Jackson's lead in suing New Line, one of Hollywood's most powerful studios, for spin-off profits.
Mark Ferguson, who played Gil-Galad in the trilogy, is one of 15 Kiwi actors getting litigious over money the actors claim is owed to them from merchandising sales.
Ferguson told the Herald on Sunday that when he opened his personal royalties statement, he was astounded to see that US$9 million ($12m) of merchandising revenue - from the sale of everything from LOTR lunchboxes to T-shirts bearing the image of his character - somehow equated to a US$400,000 ($540,000) loss.
Ferguson says those figures were for his character alone. "I had a small part. God knows what the figures were on Frodo's [statement]." A series of unexpected deductions - such as a 50 per cent distribution fee the actors say they were never told about - supposedly explained the losses recorded on their statements.
The contracts of actors featured on merchandising stated they would get 5 per cent of total "net merchandising revenue", and this would be split among them, depending on the prominence of their characters. Bruce Hopkins, who played Gamling in the films, said yesterday he first approached entertainment lawyers a year and a half ago about the discrepancy.
"It annoys the hell out of me." He worked to get more actors on board, and on Wednesday, attorney Henry Gradstein filed a lawsuit at the Los Angeles Superior Court on the actors' behalf.
The other actors named in court documents were: Noel Appleby, Jed Brophy, Ray Henwood, William Johnson, Nathaniel Lees, Sarah McLeod, Ian Mune, Paul Norell, Craig Parker, Robert Pollock, Martyn Sanderson, Peter Tait and Stephan Ure.
Ferguson did not wish to speculate on how much he believed he should have received. But he said the studio had either used a "very creative accounting process" or was "just not that good with money".
He said the legal action was about retaining transparency and good faith, a statement echoed by Hopkins, who said that if the actors won the case, it would hopefully raise the standard of contracts made here.
"For me it will be the sort of money where I can buy myself a better car. There might be a couple who could look at a house."
There was a perception that Kiwi actors accepted contracts of the lowest standard, something that needed to be changed so that local thespians "who struggle at the best of times to make a living" wouldn't get walked all over by overseas studio bigwigs.
A spokesman for New Line - involved in a similar dispute with Wellington director Peter Jackson over profits from the fantasy trilogy - has refused to comment on the matter.
pondered at 7:55 pm Monday
June 11, 2007 - from Lancaster University
Holiday courses and activities for all 22 July - 4 August 2007
Tolkien and Middle Earth
The fantasy world of Gollum, Gandalf and Frodo has been introduced to and absorbed by a new generation, following the hugely successful trilogy of The Lord of the Rings films. On this highly enjoyable new course, you will find out more about the mythological world of Middle Earth, as we explore the scholarship and literary themes of JRR Tolkien. In addition to The Lord of the Rings, we shall consider the unfinished work The Silmarillion, and the recently published Children of Hurin, as well as his literary essays on fairy stories and Beowulf. This promises to be a fascinating and popular insight into one of the 20th century’s most influential writers on myth and fantasy.
Colin has written successful popular guides to Middle Earth (Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings). He has appeared as a commentator on a number of documentaries, including extended version DVD sets of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, the Sony DVD Ringers, about Tolkien fandom and the impact of Tolkien on popular culture.
Tutor: Colin Duriez
Week one
Afternoons
£63 07SP31
pondered at 1:47 pm Monday
