Nuradar writes: This past Sunday, May 27 I went to a horse exhibition in Truro, Nova Scotia to see Blanco, the beautiful white Andalusian that played Gandalf’s horse, Shadowfax, in the The Lord of the Rings movies, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. It was a great exhibition with many horses and lots to learn about riding and grooming, but I must admit, Blanco was the main reason went. I was not disappointed. He’s not exactly a large horse, but boy was he beautiful. His owner is Cynthia Royal, who acquired him immediately after filming was completed for all three movies. She gave the audience some interesting facts about his involvement with the movies. For example, Blanco’s nose and lips turned progressively more pink as filming went on. Therefore, they are more pink in The Return of the King than in The Two Towers. Another interesting tidbit is that Blanco was gelded (neutered) after the movies were finished so that nobody would profit from his offspring due to his association with The Lord of the Rings. Also, Blanco’s specialties include riding bare back and rearing on his hind legs. Blanco did have a double for some of the fast riding shots, but he is the horse we see in most scenes. And, of course, Sir Ian McKellen had a stunt double for the fast riding shots.
Cynthia Royal was at the exhibition not only to show Blanco to the public, but also to promote her style of horse training and her DVD. She uses a non-aggressive way to train horses that involves an innate understanding of a horse’s body language. Knowing the horse’s body language allows her to understand and respect the horse’s needs and intentions, and therefore, she doesn’t need to use force or aggression in her training. For more information on Cynthia’s training, visit her website, www.imagine-discoverthemagic.com.
It really was a thrill to see the horse that portrayed Shadowfax in the Lord of the Rings movies. Cynthia’s website indicates that there are some tentative U.S. tour dates for this fall and winter and for 2008. Check to see if she and Blanco are coming to your city.
Very Cool RINGERS Props & Oscar Party Memorabilia!
Clean, used, or MINT – these items are like none you’ll find or collect anywhere!
Here you will find crazy items we dug up from the RINGERS “Prop Museum” including NENYA Galadriel’s Ring, collectible Lithos from Comic-Con, and more.
Thank you for celebrating our award-winning indie documentary RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS. If you can imagine it, we probably filmed it for our B-roll! Here is your chance to acquire exclusive odd bits available nowhere else.
Check out the film clips (Quicktime required) and throw down your bids to own a piece of indie film history.
Check out these sequences from the film (Quicktime required) and join the auctions!
The “Mariachi Sing-Along”:
Small file [100kps]
Large file [800kps]
The infamous “Very Secret Diaries” Segment:
Large file [800kps]
Visit our Official Site at the RINGERS Store: [Click here]
The newest series of RINGERS eBay auctions are here:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Ultimate Viewers Guide
FORREY ACKERMAN Sci-Fi Photo RARE (seen in film)
ROTK JIGSAW PUZZLE BOOK w/Bonus
TTT MERRY & PIPPIN Comic-Con Litho
GALADRIEL’S RING (NENYA) Noble Collection
Sideshow ORCS OF MORIA Medallion RARE
WOW! RINGERS EXCLUSIVE Microphone Flag
Lot of 3 Tshirts including the WELLINGTON PREMIERE, the LINE PARTY 3 and the RETURN OF THE ONE PARTY
Mark writes: Last night I went to see The Lord of the Rings Musical in London at the Theatre Royal and thought I’d share with you a quick review:
I must admit, I was very sceptical that something like The Lord of the Rings could be adapted as a musical and fit into a 3 hour stage show and after hearing poor reviews about the Toronto show I was reluctant to spend £50 on a ticket. I’m glad I did.
The first thing you notice when you enter the theatre is that you are suddenly surrounded by the creeping branches of Fangorn Forrest:
About 30 minutes before curtain up a group of Hobbits emerged and started frolicking around on stage trying to capture fireflies and chatting to the audience in character.
So how do you transform Middle Earth and put it all on a single stage – well with the help of what must be the most sophisticated stage technology in existence they have done a remarkable job. A turntable moves the stage in both directions at once and several platforms on hydraulics rise up and down creating the illusion of climbing etc.
But what about the story? Of course there have to be massive sacrifices. The whole Weathertop scene is cut and Frodo is stabbed at the Prancing Pony instead. The character of Denethor and Theoden are fused together as one and in fact I don’t think there was a single mention of the words Rohan or Gondor throughout the entire show. Bizarrely there is a (albeit a brief) mention of Tom Bombadil, maybe in an attempt to stick two fingers up at the film producers who never satisfied fans lust to see Tom in the movies!
The Balrog scene blew me away, literally! Make sure you are sitting in the front centre of the stalls to feel the full force of the Balrog as you become completely immersed in ash and smoke, it was incredible and you will never feel anything quite like it by reading the books or watching the films! Similarly when Shelob emerged from the depths of the stage there was a real sense of fright in the audience.
One thing that amused me were the Ents. They are basically people on very long stilts however it was Treebeard that made me chuckle the most. For some reason they’ve given him a thick Lancashire accent!
The Orcs are terrifying! During the short period between act II and act III they come out and pester the audience and all I could hear were girls screaming. When they are onstage they perform all sorts of neat acrobatic moves making the battle scenes very dramatic. Similarly Gollum looks fantastic and the performance from the actor playing him is great – he’s got his movements off to a fine art.
But what about the music? This is a musical after all! This was my only disappointment really, for such an epic performance the songs didn’t really meet the same standards – the lyrics weren’t very impressive and the vocals from the performers aren’t great either. I think a lot of the songs have been cut as a massive overhaul of the production to cut the run time from the 4 hours it was at Toronto to a traditional 3 hours.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend the show to anyone but would advise people to pay full price and get the best tickets in the stalls for the complete Middle Earth experience!
Dominic Monaghan was a guest on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ on Monday, May 14th. He was there to promote the last few episodes of ‘Lost’ season 3. They also chatted about makeup, bugs and the paparazzi. Take a look at the clips below (moved to my MySpace account..thanks for nothing YouTube!)
Dominic Monaghan on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’
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Dominic Monaghan on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ Part 2
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To celebrate their return to London’s biggest and baddest movie, comic and media convention, Weta Limited are selling 1,200 collectibles from their King Kong range at the bargain price of £1! Sounding a little too good to be true? Well, it isn’t!
Weta Limited will be attending the London MCM Expo on 26-27 May, and for convention attendees only, will be offering 1,200 Kong Fighting V-Rex statues at just £1.That’s right, the first 1,200 punters to approach the Weta stand at the convention and ask for a Kong Fighting V-Rex statue will be promptly sold one on the spot for one golden pound.
This piece usually retails in Weta’s online store for at least £30! Never before has Weta done a giveaway on this scale, (and it is likely that it won’t happen again).
This will also mark the first time that Weta’s pieces from their Hellgate: London and Weta Originals ranges have appeared on European soil, making more reasons than one for those UK collectors to make the MCM London Expo their first port of call next weekend.
Punters are encouraged to come early to ensure they receive their £1 King Kong piece.
http://www.wetanz.com
WESTWOOD, MA and CHICAGO, IL – May 10, 2007 – Today, Turbine, Inc., Midway Games Inc. and Codemasters Online Gaming announced that The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ is the #1 selling PC title across North America and Europe based on the most recent industry reports. The Lord of the Rings Online has outsold all other PC games across North America, Germany, United Kingdom and France according to data from NPD (NA), Chart-Track (UK), GfK (France) and Media Control (Germany).
In addition to soaring sales, The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) has been enthusiastically received by gaming critics around the globe:
- The New York Times proclaimed LOTRO as “a major achievement of interactive storytelling, the first game truly worthy of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise and a must-play for just about anyone with an interest in Tolkien or the future of online entertainment.”
- GameSpy awarded the game its prestigious Editor’s Choice award with 4.5 out of 5 stars.
- Computer and Video Games, a leading UK gaming site, rated the game a 9.2 out of 10 and said “LOTRO presents a stunning and evocative world of Tolkien magic to explore.”
- GameDaily, a leading US gaming site, rated the game a 9 out of 10 and calls the game “a hot contender for PC game of the year.”
“This outstanding start sets the stage for a bright future,” said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “This is only the beginning as we embark on an incredible journey with our players to expand the world of Middle-earth with the release of regular content updates.”
“Following the most successful North American pre-order program in Midway’s history, The Lord of the Rings Online is off to a great start,” said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. “As the positive reports and reviews continue to come in, gamers are settling into the game and experiencing Middle-earth as never before.”
“The fabulous response from consumers and the media has been overwhelming,” said David Solari, Vice President and General Manager of Codemasters Online Gaming. “It’s been a great launch, but it’s only the beginning for us. We look forward to rapid growth and welcoming thousands more to Middle-earth!”
The Lord of the Rings Online delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. For more information about The Lord of the Rings Online, please visit www.lotro.com or www.lotro-europe.com.
About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is a premier developer, publisher and operator of online entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts. The company is one of the largest privately-held online games companies in North America. Turbine’s catalog includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron’s Call®, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE™: Stormreach™, and The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.
About Codemasters
Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience on current and future gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company’s dominant brands include Colin McRae Rally, TOCA Race Driver, LMA Manager, Brian Lara Cricket and Operation Flashpoint. The company is headquartered in Southam, Warwickshire UK and maintains operations in the US, Germany, France, Spain, and Benelux. More information about the company and its products is available online at www.codemasters.com.
About Midway
Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices throughout the world, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major videogame systems and personal computers. More information about Midway and its products can be found at www.midway.com.
About Tolkien Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien’s works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.
