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On the 3rd January 1892 JRR Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. To celebrate this event, on this day each year Tolkien fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this much loved author. The toast is "The Professor". For those unfamiliar with British toast-drinking ceremonies: To make the Birthday Toast, you stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words 'The Professor' before taking a sip (or swig, if that's more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G0k3kHtyoqc

Read by Phil Dragash and edited, and mixed, sound-effected, and designed, and painted as well. Forgive the many mistakes and glitches. I'm the only one working on this after all!

Zuccotti Park being raided by NYPD, LIVE!.Streets closed completely around the park being reported.Global Rev LIVEOccupyNYC LIVELate night entertainment.

I am deeply upset. Mr. Cain did not hit on me!!

The full, uncut video of filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson and Prime Minister John Key speaking at Hobbiton today

It's been a long while since I posted at FR, so bear with me please. There has not been sufficient discussion about Governor Palin's superb tax policy she announced in Iowa this past weekend. So, before the other campaigns try to co-opt it, I think it's necessary to put our pro-Palin stake in the ground. Current Situation - As we are all well aware, the high unemployment is plainly nasty and long-standing. Much as President Obama would like any of several of his targets to take the blame for the economic fix we are in, it is his name that...

Peter Jackson's hotly-anticipated movie The Hobbit is not out until 2012 - but that doesn't mean fans have to wait for a taste.For a Montana man has created a 1,000sq-ft Hobbit-themed guest house for those who love the J.R.R Tolkien books and characters like Bilbo Baggins.

Residents of 16 states and the District of Columbia gave President Obama approval ratings of 50% or higher during the first half of 2011, led by the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware. Idaho residents had the least positive appraisal of his performance, with 27% approving. These results are based on aggregated Gallup Daily tracking data from January through June, consisting of nearly 90,000 interviews nationally. Obama averaged 47% approval on a nationwide basis during this time. Each state's data is weighted so it is demographically representative of the state's population. The full data for each state can be...

A friend, Ellie, from Ohio was on Rush Friday and had a great idea to thank those that held firm to their principles.

"An Exclusive Look at 'The Hobbit' Dwarves" Peter Jackson's upcoming film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has been hotly anticipated by everyone from Tolkien obsessives to film buffs. The crew behind the movie, including Jackson himself, has kept fans salivating by documenting the movie's production through blog posts and videos. But TIME is the first to bring you this image of two characters from the film, dwarves named Balin and Dwalin. Below, find Warner Bros.' description of the two, and then click on for more images of The Hobbit's beloved dwarves. Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/15/time-exclusive-first-look-at-balin-and-dwalin-from-the-hobbit-movie/#ixzz1SQRm5Fha"

Peter Jackson lets us sneak a peek at work-in-progress; spy Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, with the director's comments

We've known about this unofficially since March, but it's official now - New Line, MGM, and Warner Brothers have announced that Peter Jackson's HOBBIT films are titled THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, to be released December 14, 2012, and THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN, to be released December 13, 2013.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy returns to AMC theaters in June To help celebrate the release of The Lord of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Blu-ray, which hits stores on June 28th, AMC theaters is bringing all three Extended Edition films back to screens for one night only. The three movies will play over the course of three weeks, with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring screening on June 14th, The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers screening on June 21st, and The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King bringing the...

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit… Wellington, NZ, March 21, 2011—Production has commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on “The Hobbit,” filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece. “The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot...

I apologize if this has been posted before. Check this out. JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published in the USSR in 1976, with illustrations by M. Belomlinskij.The Soviet HobbitHere's a sample. More at the link.

Exclusive: Dual Hobbit Film Titles Revealed? March 2nd, 2011 by Calisuri | Discuss | 6 Comments and 66 Reactions Ringer Spy Mr. Underbelly monitors movie titles that are registered by major film studios. Mr. Underbelly noticed that New Line has recently registered the following two film titles: The Hobbit: There and Back Again and… The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey This is the first indication of what the ‘official’ titles will be of the two Hobbit films. What are your thoughts? Remember, this is not confirmed officially, but it is a relatively good indication of what the two film titles could...

At The School of Education, UWIC (The University of Wales in Cardiff), Tom Shippey, Professor Emeritus of English, St. Louis University, will deliver an Open Lecture called: Writing into the Gap: Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún Tom Shippey has published extensively on medieval literature, and has recently been working on ‘medievalism’ and romantic nationalism, focusing on the work of Jacob Grimm. He established Tolkien scholarship by his acclaimed monograph The Road to Middle-earth, now supplemented by J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. As the foremost Tolkien scholar, he contributed in the documentaries associated with Peter Jackson’s adaptation of...

On this episode of Hobbit in 5 The Dwarves and Bilbo make there first press appearance since arriving in New Zealand a month ago. Also Sir Christopher Lee receives a Bafta Award, location scouting, character studies and much much more!

The stark cone of Mt Ngauruhoe played a leading role in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, featuring as a smouldering Mt Doom. Now, only five weeks out from the scheduled start of filming for The Hobbit prequel, local Maori are set to put their foot down and refuse permission for the Oscar-winning director to use the central North Island mountains again. The iwi considered them sacred. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and his entourage journey through the Misty Mountains on their way to confront the dragon Smaug at the Lonely Mountain.

Thirteen singing dwarves and a very funny Hobbit February 10th, 2011 by Tehanu | Discuss | 0 Comments and 0 Reactions Martin Freeman (Bilbo) and Aidan Turner (Kili) at today's press conference - this cast is a killer combo of wit and good looks. “Fourteen individuals – and an ensemble.” Today’s press conference opened with an apology from Peter Jackson, who said he couldn’t be there as he was “under a form of medical house arrest” since being hospitalised with a perforated ulcer last week. “And to be honest, perhaps it’s just as well. These guys make me laugh so...

Monday 7 February, Wellington – Production company, 3Foot7 Ltd, is pleased to announce that the first day of principal photography for THE HOBBIT will be Monday 21 March, 2011.This date has been chosen following practical considerations of the filming schedule requirements, actor availability and the NZ seasons. Shooting will take place at Stone Street Studios in Miramar and on location around New Zealand.Confirmed cast include: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Mikael...

As the film director Peter Jackson recovers from emergency surgery, it has emerged that he is the victim of a US$190,000 (£120,000) credit card fraud. Sir Peter, a keen collector of military memorabilia, used his American Express card online to buy items from the Michigan Toy Soldier Company, which specialises in historical miniature models and figurines. Richard Berry, owner of the company, is now facing up to 18 months in jail after admitting fraudulently using the director's credit card information to shore up his struggling business, based in Royal Oak, Michigan. Berry's lawyer, David Steingold, told a US court: "He...

BookMoot sends this in: Here is a nice post about the history of History of Hobbit illustrations at children’s author Tony DiTerlizzi’s site. Since, he has shared an illustration by “Where the Wild Things Are” illustrator, Maurice Sendak who was set to illustrate the Hobbit but suffered health issues that prevented the project going forward. Thought this was interesting. http://diterlizzi.com/blog/books-there-and-back-again/

Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy and Mikael Persbrandt and have joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “The Hobbit.” Also joining them are Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy and William Kircher. The films, which are scheduled to commence principal photography in February 2011, mark Jackson’s return to Middle-earth following his Oscar-winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The announcement was made jointly today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Jackson, who directed...

Many of us Ringers know the comparisons of The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter are many. Well, Film.com has compiled a few for your reading pleasure. Enjoy! Fantasy stories generally lift from the same mythological source bank. Actually, if you want to get super scholarly and esoteric about it, every story (especially the more sword-and-sorcery themed variety) is the same basic “hero’s journey” archetype detailed by Joseph Campbell. But fantasy stories — King Arthur, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Willow, Peter Pan, Conan the Barbarian — build their world out of the same objects. You...

Martin Freeman is set to star as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit... Thorin Oakenshield...Richard ArmitageFili...Aidan TurnerKili...Rob Kazinskyetc...

This is a surprising turn of events for The Hobbit. When a small coalition of actors’ unions in New Zealand and Australia pushed actors’ guilds across the world to boycott work on the films, citing an unfair residuals arrangement, Peter Jackson responded by threatening to move the production to Eastern Europe. But that would never happen, right? The organizations wouldn’t push away a huge chunk of work like the two Hobbit films by holding firm to a set of demands for which the production and backers at Warner Bros. have sought appropriate solutions — that would be crazy. And yet...

Message board member ranger123 alerted us to a people.co.uk article from Oct 3 stating that COLD feet and Murphy’s Law star James Nesbitt is making plans to pack up his family and move to New Zealand, having secured a ‘major’ role in “The Hobbit.” Nesbitt, 45, and actress wife Sonia Forbes-Adam, also 45, have talked to their daughters Peggy, 12, and Mary, eight, about the benefits of staying on to make a fresh start. The Northern Irish star believes it will be good for his career and family life. A source said: “‘The Hobbit’ was always going to mean a...

OSCAR WINNER PETER JACKSON TO DIRECT “THE HOBBIT” IN TWO INSTALLMENTS Peter Jackson Set to Direct J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” In a Two-Part 3D Production of Extraordinary Scope(Los Angeles, October 15, 2010) The two films based on “The Hobbit” are now greenlit and will begin principal photography in February 2011, under the direction of Peter Jackson, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.. “Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience”...

"What seems like eleventy years later, The Hobbit is finally a done deal. MGM, New Line and Warner Bros. have officially greenlighted the two-part Lord of the Rings prequel, featuring the adventures of Frodo's uncle, Bilbo Baggins, with Peter Jackson triple-threating as writer-director-producer. LOTR partners Fran Walsh (aka Mrs. Jackson) and Phillipa Boyens will also work on the script."

We generally tend to pass over the news on MGM‘s financial machinations, but this month there is some big news on the future of the company that owns the Stargate franchise. Since it is bound to stir questions among Stargate fans (not to mention fans of James Bond and The Hobbit, as both film franchises are waiting on MGM’s ability to pay for them), we wanted to let you know what’s up

The New York Times is busting out major headlines today: First with the revelation that ‘The Hobbit’ films will be filmed in 3-D, and now, all but confirming Peter Jackson will direct the two ‘prequels.’ (Woo Hoo!!! – Sorry, had to get that in there) According Michael Cieply’s article, an announcement to this affect will be coming in the next few days.

You can be forgiven for being skeptical that "The Hobbit" will ever be made. Back in October 2007, Entertainment Weekly announced on its cover that Peter Jackson would be putting together a prequel to his "Lord of the Rings" films based on the J. R. R. Tolkien book series. Since then, everything has gone wrong: Jackson sued New Line over the rights to the film; the Tolkien family then sued them as well; MGM, one of the two studios planning to distribute the film, ran into the money woes (which are also holding up the James Bond films); Guillermo Del...

"Like the name of Bilbo Baggins' sword, threats being made by acting unions regarding production of The Hobbit are really starting to sting. So much so that Peter Jackson, the executive producer behind the Lord of the Rings prequel, is now suggesting that shooting could very well move to Eastern Europe—or even shut down—if things don't get resolved with the various acting unions in New Zealand that are encouraging its members not to work on a film that employs nonunion actors."

"Perhaps Bilbo Baggins' tale of wanderlust won't be leaving the Shire after all. Numerous international unions, including SAG and AFTRA, have sent out alerts advising members to ditch work on Peter Jackson's highly anticipated production of The Hobbit."

In the midst of piles of Lord of the Rings merchandise on every shelf, Tolkien’s wisdom is applied to just about everything — Tolkien and industrialization, Tolkien and communism, Tolkien and religion, etc. What’s surprising, especially in today’s hypersensitive post-Gloria Steinem world, is the dearth of commentary on Tolkien and women.

Scale model awesomeness! Check out: http://madshobbithole.wordpress.com/

We recently got our hands on what we think is some authentic Bilbo casting and production information which seemed to contradict something we knew with absolute certainty: The Hobbit production wanted Martin Freeman for Bilbo and has since as long ago as last year. Seemingly at odds with that fact was apparently concrete casting details about Bilbo and actors still giving audition tapes. Was the role sewn up or not? A spy has provided an exclusive clue or two about what the role of Bilbo will be like and even a plot detail and a production outline but we were...

100,000 characters. Nine companions. Three masterworks. One Man to do it all. Following his recent sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Canadian actor Charles Ross returns with his show One Man Lord Of The Rings for a full UK tour (plus a show in Dublin) in September.

Magpie writes: Doug Adams is letting us peek inside his upcoming book on the LOTR film music. Check out musicoflotr.com.

Tolkien and Dickens descendants collaborate on children’s fantasy August 11th, 2010 by xoanon Poet Michael GR Tolkien’s reworking of classic children’s fantasy is read for audiobook by Charles Dickens’s great-great grandson. It is a match made in publicists’ heaven: the grandson of JRR Tolkien and the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens have collaborated for the first time on a verse retelling of a classic fantasy story. Poet Michael GR Tolkien, the eldest grandson of the Lord of the Rings author, was inspired by Florence Bone’s prose fantasy for children, The Rose-Coloured Wish, first published in 1923. Telling the story of...

Funny LOTR's video on youtube.

It's getting scary in this country. REALLY scary. And I can't help but feel that we are headed toward some kind of real conflict within the nation. Face it folks, we are the 'unfavored, rotten, racist' people of this country now, at least in the eyes of the government and their dead-beat supporters. To them, all we're good for is to feed the beast with our money. And if we refuse? I can see it now, a group of outnumbered, like-minded, freedom loving Americans holed in at their Helm's Deep, while being accosted by a ragtag army of gangbangers, illegals,...

Ancestors of a hobbit-like species of humans may have colonized the Indonesian island of Flores as far back as a million years ago, much earlier than thought, according to a new study published Thursday. These early ancestors, or hominins, were previously thought to have arrived on the island about 800,000 years ago but artifacts found in a new archaeological site suggest they might have been around even earlier... The arrival of hominins is also believed to have resulted quickly in the mass death of giant tortoises and the Stegondon sondaari, a pygmy elephant, on the island. In their paper, the...

Actress Kate Madison, a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, spent six years and her entire life savings creating a prequel to the films. Miss Madison, 31, spent £25,000 on the film, Born of Hope, which has already been watched by more than half a million people on YouTube. The story was inspired by just a couple of paragraphs written by JRR Tolkein in the appendices of The Lord of The Rings. "The film has gone down really well with the fans and some say it is even better than the Peter Jackson movies which is amazing," she...

One cost more than £200 million, took eight years to film using the spectacular scenery of New Zealand and won 17 Oscars. The other cost £25,000, was filmed over a year in muddy English locations, and has not been nominated for any awards. But for Lord Of The Rings trilogy fanatic Kate Madison, filming a prequel was the purest form of art - a labour of love.

Old Western ManThe travellers trotted on, and as the sun began to sink towards the White Downs far away on the western horizon they came to Bywater by its wide pool, and there they had their first really painful shock. This was Frodo and Sam's own country, and they found out now that they cared about it more than any other place in the world. Many of the houses that they had known were missing. Some seemed to have been burned down. The pleasant row of old hobbit-holes in the bank in the north side of the Pool were deserted,...

With all that is going on in the world, with our military and politics at home, I needed a good shot of motivational music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCrnF844_ww What is yours?

50 Reasons why LORD OF THE RINGS sucks Fellowship of the Rings was shoved down our throats. I've heard some students are even forced to read some novelization of the movie in their literature classes. Ridiculous. Does Hollywood run our classrooms now? Greed. Hollywood can't make a movie these days without crapping out a sequel the next year to squeeze more money out of the sheep. Guess what; there's ANOTHER LOTR movie coming this Christmas. Gee, I wonder what will bring Rocky out of retirement this time? Quality Control at New Line. Millions of copies of the LOTR DVD have...