Our very own MrCere, Larry Curtis, was a guest on last Sunday’s broadcast of ‘Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib,’ on WNJC 1360 AM, Philadelphia at 11AM ET. As always, it was broadcast live via the internet via the WNJC website. A full transcript of the radio segment can be found below (thanks to Deleece Cook!). TheOneRing.net is featured every other week on Fictional Frontiers.
Transcription 4th January 09 Session 17 TORN Radio Show
Another wonderful TORN segment on Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib Awan, and this week taking the mike, our own Larry Curtis! A great round up of what has been happening in the world of tORN and Middle-Earth.
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Or email Sohaib with all your questions and suggestions: Sohaib@fictionalfrontiers.com
Sohaib: It’s been a while, but without further adieu, its been a while, but our friends from the OneRing have returned. Larry Curtis is back from his New Year’s Holiday, or I think he may still be on a little bit of a holiday (Larry Laughs), but we’re going to run down a lot of the news which has been occurring, or which has been emerging I should say in the world of Tolkien over the last couple of weeks. Larry welcome back to Fictional Frontiers!
Larry: Well thank-you so much. It’s good to be back!
Sohaib: Oh, it’s nice to have another tORN segment. We were actually in withdrawal for a while (laughs) so it’s nice that you all come back. To start with what’s the big news you’ve heard with say over the last couple of weeks? I know there was a rumour about the films being delayed as far as their release was concerned. I don’t know how that, I guess it was a rumour, spread. But talk a little about what happened along those lines.
Larry: Well you know, the internet is obviously an amazing place, but it also has negatives I suppose, and one of the things that happens on the internet is journalism is in the hands of everybody, which is great and terrible. So, at the OneRing we received a bunch of emails that say ‘The Hobbits Been Delayed! The Hobbits Been Delayed,’ and as far as any of us can tell the only reason anyone thought this could possibly be true is because the fantastic website’ Industrial Movie Data Base’ or imdb, had a date listed on it, which you know, it’s not a reliable news site, and that’s not an insult to the site it’s fantastic , it just isn’t meant to be news – but we kind of dismissed the emails and said there’s no source, there’s none of the journalistic minimums that we can even report this as a story. But, the same person I guess emailed everyone in the world, and it started to get reported that it was true, and nobody had checked any facts or anything, but there’s this race for news and so people started to report it. And then, mainstream media started to report it because now they had a source, even though the source was just a website that believed in a rumour who believed somebody sent an email. So at that point we had to deal with like WOW – this is legit –it’s out there, and we’re getting emails from all kinds of sources, and all kinds of links to legitimate (like) – I mean, I don’t want to say their names ‘cause it’s embarrassing (Sohaib laughs) for them that they ran with the story, but we (Mike) at theOneRing made some phone calls, I sent some emails, and quickly we heard back – even from Guillermo – who said ‘absolutely, this is ridiculous’, and he knows enough about journalism as a screenwriter, that he said ‘hey, there’s not a source, there’s nothing reported, there’s no insider, this is absurd’. So, if anybody did read those stories, don’t worry, there’s no delays, you have it from the highest source possible, the Movie is on track. Everything’s fine.
Sohaib: Great! Great! It’s wonderful to hear. And what again for our listeners who who maybe) listening in for the first time, What are the official release dates for the films?
Larry: Right, right. Well, they’re following the December release schedules that they followed with the Lord of the Rings film. This year, 2009, is mostly spent writing and pre-production and then 2010 they’ll be shooting, so we’ll see a film in December then, and then the following year as well.
Sohaib: OK.
Larry: So, we still have a ways to go, but it’s not out of reach.
Sohaib: Now, because we’re actually, I guess I don’t want to say we’re heading into the meat of the actual pre-production of the work, what’s been going on as far as far as design work? Because I know you had mentioned off the air that there’s some pretty juicy details that have been emerging along these lines.
Larry: There are. You know, what’s funny about this is, as far as I know, what I’m about to say isn’t – well it’s not that it’s not out in the public – but it’s just the reason we know about this is, Guillermo is good enough to stop by the website from time to time and participate in our message boards – which is just kind of silly that a Director thinks that much of fans (tongue in cheek)he’s willing to do that (Sohaib laughs) but he does!, So its confirmed that it’s him, there’s no doubt about it, and he stopped by at the very end of the year to say ‘Hey, Happy Holidays to everyone’ – He previously kind of teased us and said ‘I think by the New Year we’ll have some big announcements for you all’, but he stopped by to say ‘Sorry, no big announcements – we don’t have any bombs to drop, but things are going fantastically’ and he hinted at some design work which you just alluded to. He said, and I’m going to just quote him, it’s better than me trying to read than tell his story, but he said,
“I can only say, that great WETA progress was made with designing and exploring Mirkwood and the Spiders” Now WETA… for those who don’t know, is the design team and special effects workshop that worked on all the Lord of the Rings films, it’s in Wellington, in New Zealand. So he’s been in New Zealand writing with the Lord of the Rings writing Team having this great creative process that he reported, and then John Howe and Alan Lee are part of that design team. And WETA and Allan and John, he mentioned that they had given their best, which is pretty great – obviously things have taken place and they kind of designed those amazing Mirkwood Spiders – well at least preliminary designs – it’s just fantastic to think about what great imaginative work that must be. And …
Sohaib: That was one of the big concerns that a lot of our listeners was about the development of the Spiders and aside from whatever take they’re going to have as long as, as far as they were speaking but, what else did he mention along those lines?
Larry: Well he did talk a little bit about the Goblin Kingdom, or at least alluded to it, and the Wargs and even Smaug the Dragon, which are all the principle monsters in the film, or most of them at least, so all those are fun things. I mean Im sure for anyone, just like I would, pay any amount of money or do anything to be a fly on the wall. (Sohaib laughs) To see that creative stuff going on, it’s just amazing.
Sohaib: (Laughs) I go that sentiment too, because I would love to be a fly on the wall. And I know when I was in San Diego – WETA was out there and you know, they’re so friendly, I bet if actually drove up to New Zealand, if you signed an non disclosure agreement, they probably wouldn’t let you in. (Laughs)
Larry: Well, I have been very lucky and have been to New Zealand and have visited WETA (Sohaib: ‘Oh WOW’) and they do give you the tour and they have actually … it’s just this quiet little place and little part of Wellington and it’s really out of the way, and so lots of people did show up there from the States and around the world, and there’s nothing to see. I mean, you can go there and you can look at the sidewalk and it says WETA outside but, there isn’t anything to see. So they realised well this is kind of a problem, people make a big trip to come here and it’s important to them, so they’ve made what they call the WETA Cave now which is full of a lot of their designs and things that they can show – things that no one has to sign anything for – you can buy some things, buy a WETA hat, a WETA T-shirt, they have some big life size models and its really cool. I wouldn’t go to New Zealand just for that but almost! (Sohaib laughs) Its fantastic because if you’re in that part of the world make sure you do stop by.
Sohaib: I’m going to definitely try to do that ‘cause I actually did pick up a WETA cap (Laughs) I think I want to actually get one from the WETA shop down there. But Larry I have to ask you though, I know there were some rumours – I don’t know, I’m sure you’re probably aware of the rumours – but I don’t know what’s conformed or not, is Mike Mignola going to be part of the Hobbit Team? Because I know when I spoke to him actually a couple of months ago, he said he was interested and if Guillermo ever invited him he’d love to be involved, but then I started hearing some rumblings about him actually possibly being involved in the project. Is he involved in any way, form or fashion?
Larry: I don’t think officially that he is. I guess we won’t know for a little while for sure but, yeah, Guillermo was kind of alluded to ‘yeah I want my people involved in it’, and Mignola is probably one of the guys that he trusts and loves and does his work, they’ve had incredible design production together, they’ve come up with some great things – the Hellboy stuff. I think probably it’s not official, and maybe he isn’t at a point where he can really announce that kind of stuff, but I would almost bank on it – I just think in some way, he’s not going to go to New Zealand and live there for a year – I imagine he has a lot going on, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t spend a little time there and contribute to the production in some way – which is a positive definitely.
Sohaib: Oh yeah. Definitely. It’s funny because in the world of these amazing creators you see often people from other industries or other Directors or Producers or Artists, they sometimes even visit sets or studios and they just give their input in an unofficial manner. I’m sure many of our listeners probably watch the original Star Wars Films Episode One, and I remember there was a wonderful DVD on the Phantom Menace DVD set in which there was a clip of Steven Spielberg visiting George Lucas and George Lucas was showing him around a lot of the design work for Phantom Menace, and I’m sure during that time he probably gave George a couple of pointers and there were actually rumours that he had actually helped him on the Direction of the final sequences of the film. But it was done in an unofficial capacity but I’m sure probably even if Mike’s not involved directly as far as credits are concerned he probably will be involved in some way form or fashion indirectly at least.
Larry: Yeah, I would think that’s exactly accurate and I think any time you’re just whatever level of creativity, your master work, once you’re in this fraternity once you have a chance, why wouldn’t you go and be involved, why wouldn’t you drop by the Star Wars set or why wouldn’t you hang out at Hellboy world for a little while, and just, you know – who wouldn’t do that. And they come mostly in a position to set their schedules and get to do those things. So I don’t know how you get in that fraternity but I’d love to be a member (Sohaib laughs) I’m sure you’re right.
Sohaib: Well hopefully they’re listening in, maybe the Secret Society will send you an invite. But before I get to this event that’s going to be happening in New York in October – I want to definitely touch on this before we leave, and that’s tORN reaching its ten years of existence. Talk a little bit about that, what that meant to you and all the fans of the Lord of The Rings Series around the world because I think its an incredible accomplishment.
Larry: Well it is crazy. We’ve had some internal discussions that were ‘Hey, this is 10 years old pretty soon’ – in just a few months and I’m quick to give credit to those who started the OneRing – which was not me, I came a couple of years after the fact, although I was a reader from day one I didn’t get involved right away. But, 10 years in pretty phenomenal in the age of come and go internet – it’s just phenomenal – yet it was never meant to grow into anything crazy like it has – it definitely changed founders lives, and it changed lives of a lot of other people bothered – well definitely including me, I’m fortunate enough to call those people good friends and they’ve kind of adopted me and I guess if you’re passionate for something like they are, have the right intentions, which they do, things turn out pretty well. And it really has impacted, the OneRing.net is a brand name, it not for profit, but it’s a brand name that reached every corner of the globe, its reached the production of the film on a daily basis, there’s no one involved in Lord of the Rings that didn’t know about it – it’s just really a tribute to founders but as well for the fans – it’s as just as much as the fans who put in their heart soul and time and did it out of love. I think that’s why it’s successful, I think.
Sohaib: And I agree with that. I think it’s wonderful because I think you touched on it so well. It’s almost a family if you will in a sense because you have people who are packaged so much by not just the films but the books, but one thing I’ve noticed is you don’t see a lot of the negativity on theOneRing.net, you get a lot of wonderful information, but at the same time people’s opinions and differences of opinion are recognized and respected and that’s what you do in a family – you recognize the differences, accept the differences, and discuss those and you move forward and it makes you stronger for it and I guess, you say you came in later on in the process, I would probably say that you know Chris and Mike were the founders – they were sort of the Fellowship of the Ring – I guess you would be the Rohan so to speak because you came in a little bit later, but (Larry Laughs) you’re definitely a critical part of the theOneRing.net (Larry laughs).
Larry: Well I do consider myself luck to be involved. And yeah, Chris and Mike definitely, but also Bill and Erica, Erica from Wellington – (Sohaib: ‘right’) who just had a baby last week ..
Sohaib: Oh Great! Congratulations to them and hopefully we’ll have them on as well. Gee the family continues to expand – what can you say! (laughs)
Larry: I know I suppose.
Sohaib: Before we head out Larry, talk a little bit about this wonderful event in New York. I’m actually going to try to go definitely because I know it’s on two days, but give our listeners the details on this because I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this in any genre of film ever especially where its going to be held at Madison Radio City Music Hall.
Larry: Yeah, its just been announced about a week or so. A good friend of the website is also a good friend of Howard Shores – his name is Doug Adams and he’s kind of Howard’s right hand guy. He’s been working on a book about the music of the Lord of the Rings which is pretty wonderful. I’ve been lucky enough to share some good conversations with him. So they want to have this big – part of it I guess is part of the 10 year, but Radio City Music Hall the 9th and 10 of October they will play the Fellowship of the Ring live, and Howard will be there and they will perform the orchestra parts as well as the chorus, so I guess really all the score – live score I guess is the best way to say it. It will be those two nights, and I have it on very good authority, if they sell out it will be on a 3rd night on the Sunday of the same weekend. So really with that much notice, any Lord of the Rings fans, any fan of music and film, which is pretty much everyone, really ought to try to go and attend. And I’m saying that not because I’m getting anything – it’s nothing to do with me except I think it’s awesome. The OneRing is also going to try to plan some events around the weekend so anyone who does go there will be plenty of other things to do there as well. But it’s a phenomenal chance to see the live score of the films, it’s just as cool as can be.
Sohaib: Well I’m very excited about it. I don’t know which night I’m going to go but I’m definitely going to be there. I want aware actually that Howard Shore was actually going to be – is he going to be conducting or is he going to be in attendance?
Larry: I don’t know for sure he said he’s going to be conducting. I know he’s very involved, I know he’s definitely its a little bit of his project, and so he may conduct. How’s that, that’s about as official as it can be, but he’s definitely involved in the whole weekend he’ll be around, I would suspect fans really want to say Ho to him somewhere along the line but he’s definitely heavily involved – it’s his baby.
Sohaib: Fantastic, and actually my favourite score in all movie history, the Lord of the Rings trilogy all 3 films scored. I look at it as one film, but the Lord of the Rings soundtrack by Howard Shore in my opinion was and is the best score that I’ve seen for any film, It’s the best film score, period for me, and Kristin Thompson says that she listens to it daily, I’m not passionate, (Larry laughs) I don’t listen to it daily, I do listen to it at least once or twice a month – but… Larry it’s been fantastic, and I’m really excited about what’s going to be happening down the pipe not with just the OneRing.net and us, but you know the Lord of the Rings film in general and I just wanted to have a say have a safe holiday and thanks for coming back and we look forward to having you back on here again.
Larry: Well thanks so much – Happy New Year to you and all your avid listeners and friends and I really appreciate the time to talk to you.
Sohaib: Thanks so much Larry.
Transcript by Elven for Fictional Frontiers and tORN
