I actually bought less this year than in Con visits past. A big part of that is that a big part of previous purchases was Trade Paperbacks, and I tend…
I actually bought less this year than in Con visits past. A big part of that is that a big part of previous purchases was Trade Paperbacks, and I tend to now pick those up (or at least Wish List them) as they come available.
Still, I did my part to support the Con exhibitors:
Why The Lord of the Rings Will – and Must – Be Remade. Hmmmm. I’m sure the author, Doug Kern, is correct. Indeed, I’m not convninced that we won’t someday…
Why The Lord of the Rings Will – and Must – Be Remade.
Hmmmm.
I’m sure the author, Doug Kern, is correct. Indeed, I’m not convninced that we won’t someday see remakes of The Godfather or Gone with the Wind, or Star Wars — except for the artificial constraints of ego and hyper-extended copyright protection (Lucas will never allow SW to be remade, and will discover some way to prevent it in perpetuity, I guarantee).
And, heck, given all the other films that have been remade, LotR isn’t even in the upper half of the list of faboo films that someone’s decided to tinker with.
And, in fact, I would actually be willing to see a flick that did justice to Tom Bombadil, or the Scouring of the Shire, or …
So, yeah, I can see it.
But I’ll probably grouse about it. And for the moment, I’m only waiting for the (ultra-mega-length) Return of the King to make my LotR viewing complete.
(via GeekPress)
The top-grossing films of all time (as of some arbitrary moment). I’ve italicized (rather than bolding, due the current default font) the ones I’ve seen, so that y’all can stare…
The top-grossing films of all time (as of some arbitrary moment). I’ve italicized (rather than bolding, due the current default font) the ones I’ve seen, so that y’all can stare in incredulity and cry, “You mean you haven’t seen X?”
(I’m actually amazed by all the ones I have seen, my movie-going being more than a bit idiosyncratic.)
(via the Flea)
LOL. It’s The Fellowship of the Ring in gamer-speak. [at the Council of Elrond] Gimli: “dwarves pwn!” Legolas: “Sif, Elves pwn!” Boromir: “OLOLOL noobs, men pwn!” Elrond: “STFU tards!!1!” **Frodo…
LOL. It’s The Fellowship of the Ring in gamer-speak.
[at the Council of Elrond]
Gimli: “dwarves pwn!”
Legolas: “Sif, Elves pwn!”
Boromir: “OLOLOL noobs, men pwn!”
Elrond: “STFU tards!!1!”
**Frodo puts the ring on the plinth
Gimili: “Sif ring pwns all!”
**Gimli swings his axe at it, which shatters
Elrond: “**sigh, noob”
Heh.
(via Les)
What are quotations for? This arises over a list of generally anti-war, anti-war-leader quotes posted at the Gamer’s Nook. One of them included the bogus Julius Caesar quote that’s been…
What are quotations for?
This arises over a list of generally anti-war, anti-war-leader quotes posted at the Gamer’s Nook. One of them included the bogus Julius Caesar quote that’s been floating around the Net for a few years. I noted that to Jeff, the author of the post, and he amended the entry, but added, “It’s a good quote despite not coming from Caesar.”
Which made me consider. Or, rather, go “huh”?
So, why do we quote?
Two reasons, I suppose. First, for the felicitous beauty of the language used, usually (nearly, but not always) in support of a position we hold. Someone has said something better than we feel capable of, so we quote it. That seems to be where Jeff is coming from.
The second reason is related, and, I think, even more important — the appeal to authority. In its most obvious form, that could be a reference to Scripture (“See? It’s in the Bible, so it must be so!”). In academic fields, it’s less, um, canonical, but still used to show that it just isn’t you asserting something, but folks who are accepted as Big Thinkers.
In everyday discourse, it’s much the same. If I quote Einstein, you think, “Hey, he was smart, he must know what he’s talking about.” If I quote the Dalai Lama, ditto. Or Twain, or whomever. We ascribe a certain wisdom to certain writers (sometimes even outside of their field of expertise), and so quoting them to support our point lends a certain wisdom to the point we’re making.
Think the appeal to authority doesn’t matter? When was the last time you heard someone quote a political enemy (except to ironically point out something goofy they said or something hypocritical they uttered)? I mean, George W. Bush has some keen speech writers, as did Bill Clinton before him — surely there’s something in their body of speeches that anyone could utter without taking a political stance against their beliefs. Except, by appealing to their authority, they vest that authority in someone they dislike, and so demur from doing so. It’s the same thing as some conservative Christians having problems quoting the Qur’an, even though there’s a lot there, expressed delightfully, that they would agree with.
The only other time you’ll usually see an authority quoted that the writer disagrees with is when it tars someone else with the same brush. Thus, on the GN page, we have the Goering quote (which I discussed a year ago here), which is usually referenced as much to implicitly draw equivalency between the Bushies and the Third Reich as it is for what it has to say (which is that everyone in WWII, from Roosevelt to Churchill to Stalin to Hitler to Tojo, cajoled and tricked their unwilling populace into fighting a war).
An in-between case here is the quote-from-the-media, where an imaginary character (e.g., the Blackadder quote from the GN page) says something witty or profound. We don’t necessarily mean to say that Blackadder (or Capt. Kirk, or Xander, or Sam Spade, or Gandalf the Grey) is someone we believe in, or sometimes even somebody we admire. Nor do we as much mean that we agree with the author behind the character, though that begins to blur a bit as time passes (and, of course, assumes that the author agrees with the sentiment). But we agree with the sentiment, and we think the character (often a protagonist) has had some insight into the world, so we ascribe a certain authority to it — but less than we’d ascribe to a Real Live Person.
I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this, except that quotation of folks to establish or support a point is an interesting, and sometimes tricky, phenomenon.
Margie and I were listening to the RotK sound track in the car on the way to dinner last night. The final tune, Annie Lennox on “Into the West,” came…
Margie and I were listening to the RotK sound track in the car on the way to dinner last night. The final tune, Annie Lennox on “Into the West,” came on.
“So, the other night,” say I, “this was playing when Katherine and I were on the way home, after you’d gone to the game. Katherine thought it sounded like a lullaby and got all curled up in her car seat like she was going to sleep.”
“Really? How cute,” says Margie.
“Yeah. So when we got home, I found the lyrics online, printed them off, and sang it to her as her lullaby. Which was great, because she really liked it, and Annie Lennox sings in the same register as I do.”
“You’re such a Dad.”
“Hey, maybe tonight I can sing her ‘Gollum’s Song‘ instead, and she can have nightmares all night long.”
“No, that would make you such a Geek.”
Heh.
More rumor-mongering regarding Peter Jackson and The Hobbit. Jackson said New Line Cinema has the rights to make the movie, but MGM has the rights to distribute it. “I guess…
More rumor-mongering regarding Peter Jackson and The Hobbit.
Jackson said New Line Cinema has the rights to make the movie, but MGM has the rights to distribute it.
“I guess MGM’s lawyers and New Line’s lawyers are going to have a huge amount of fun over the next few years trying to work it all out,” he told reporters recently in Los Angeles, according to AP Radio. “I’m obviously busy for a couple of years on ‘King Kong’ so those lawyers can just go at it for a long time.”
Jackson said he’d want much the same feel for the flick as the (sequel) trilogy, including bringing back Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
But … is any of that new news?
(via Avocet)
Top 11 Television Spinoffs for The Lord of the Rings. Heh. (via GeekPress)…
J.R.R. must be spinning in his grave, particularly given his strong Catholic faith. Based on “The Lord of the Rings”, this entirely new divination system uses rings, cards, and a…
J.R.R. must be spinning in his grave, particularly given his strong Catholic faith.
Based on “The Lord of the Rings”, this entirely new divination system uses rings, cards, and a map to answer all of your important questions about the future–an official Tolkien gift set. Full color.
[…] Officially licensed by Tolkien Enterprises, Inc. Like the hobbit Frodo Baggins, change your world forever by journeying through the magical land of Middle Earth! Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved trilogy The Lord of the Rings–soon to be a major motion picture–this entirely new divination system answers important questions about your future. The premise: that the kingdom of Middle Earth symbolically lives inside all of us, profoundly influencing our lives. Here are the materials you need to access that knowledge–packaged in a beautiful slipcase, designed to look like a book: a powerful runic ring; a guiding map, modeled on those in the original trilogy; one richly illustrated book to direct you as you seek answers; and 40 tarot-like cards. You’ll treasure this marvelous pack for its eye-catching design and for the way it elaborates and extends upon your favorite novels!
Crikey.
(via Avocet)
Return of the King won every single award it was nominated for — totalling 11 Oscars at all, “clean sweep” record, and a tie for most Oscars ever (with Ben…
Return of the King won every single award it was nominated for — totalling 11 Oscars at all, “clean sweep” record, and a tie for most Oscars ever (with Ben Hur and Titanic).
Cool.
(via Doyce)
UPDATE: The Dork Towers crew weighs in.
UPDATE: The link above actually points to Dork Tower now. Yeesh.
Dave Does the Blog breaks the language barrier. Cool. Ahi un blog que a veces leo de un gringo que se llama Dave Hill. Escriba notas, pone articulos y comentarios…
Dave Does the Blog breaks the language barrier. Cool.
Ahi un blog que a veces leo de un gringo que se llama Dave Hill. Escriba notas, pone articulos y comentarios varias veces al dia y estoy leyendo su review de ROTK. El tipo escribe super bien asi que quiero ‘postear’ cosas que diga.
I find this oddly thrilling.
I am often asked, “What kind of music do you like?” Actually, I’m rarely asked that, but work with me here. My answer is, invariably, “Familiar music.” That is to…
I am often asked, “What kind of music do you like?” Actually, I’m rarely asked that, but work with me here.
My answer is, invariably, “Familiar music.” That is to say, the best way for me to enjoy music is for me to hear it repeatedly. Even tunes that I don’t particularlly care for at first blush begin to mentally resonate with me upon rehearing.
As Margie will tell you, this usually involves listening to a given CD (or even just a single track thereof) until the laser drills through to the other side. Have I mentioned recently how patient Margie is with me?
Which brings to mind Lord of the Rings.
Each installment of the Peter Jackson trilogy had a vocal over the end titles. In Fellowship, it was Enya, who I am not ashamed to say is an artist I enjoy a lot. And her airy-fairy Celtic “May It Be” was perfect for the whole airy-fairy Celtic fantasy that was the first movie.
May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you,
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true,
You walk a lonely road,
Oh! How far you are from home.
All that and Quenya, too.
She was, I knew, going to be a hard act to follow.
The Two Towers featured Emiliana Torrini belting out “Gollum’s Song.” I hated it. What the heck was a torch song doing in a frickin’ Tolkien film, fergoshsakes? I mean, yeesh!
Hated it.
And yet … upon rehearing, and listening to the actual lyrics — that has got to be one of the creepiest tunes going.
So in the end
I’ll be what I will be,
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me.
Now we say good-bye,
We say you didn’t try.
It’s anguished, it’s painful, and it’s even foreshadowing of Frodo’s fate, too (“You are lost, You can never go home”). And, listening to the soundtrack now … it’s spot-on perfect for the middle film.
Well, the final wrap-up, Return of the King, was going to be a real test, I thought.
Annie Lennox?
I mean, I like Lennox, and I liked the Eurhythmics, but … huh?
Harumph. Way too pop. A bad note to leave off on.
Feh.
And yet … now that I’ve listened to it a few (several, dozen) times, and listened to the lyrics … I like it. Heck, I’m willing to say that I like it best of the three.
Part of it is the tune, “Into the West.” It’s wistful, without descending into the pathos of “Gollum’s Song.” It’s subtly magical without being all airy-fairy like “May It Be.” It sings, quietly, sadly, yet with subdued triumph and expectation, of the departure to the Uttermost West:
What can you see on the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea a pale moon rises,
The ships have come to carry you home.
And all will turn to silver glass,
A light on the water,
Grey ships pass
Into the West.
But part of it is also Lennox. She doesn’t modulate and undulate her voice. No fancy tricks like Enya. She doesn’t belt it out like Torrini. She sings it straight-forwardly, humanly, soft in the soft parts, clarion and unadorned in the loud parts. I can feel the emotions underlying the departure — those of the hobbits, primarily, but even a bit of the elves and Gandalf — in my gut.
In short, it works for me. Your mileage, as with all things, may vary.
Three very different tunes. Three very different approaches. All of them, ultimately, effective at what they do. Kudos to Howard Shore, and Peter Jackson. And to the singers involved, of course.
So the question is … is it a good song if I like it after the fact? How much do first impressions really count?
And now, today, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has picked up eleven Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year. Next up was Master and Commander,…
And now, today, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has picked up eleven Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year. Next up was Master and Commander, at ten. Cold Mountain, highly touted to be a major contender, did not pick up nominations for best picture, director, or actress among its seven.
RotK was nominated for Best Picture, Director, Original Score, Original Song, Visual Effects, Film Editing, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound, and Makeup. Alas, no acting nominations.
On an amusing side note, Johnny Depp picked up a Best Actor nomination for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had major wins at the Golden Globes, including Drama Picture, Director, Original Score, and Original Song. Well, with all respect to Annie…
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had major wins at the Golden Globes, including Drama Picture, Director, Original Score, and Original Song.
Well, with all respect to Annie Lennox, I’m not sure I’d go with the Original Song win. I didn’t dislike it as much as some — I just felt the two original songs (i.e., “End Credit Pop Music Tracks”) from the previous two were substantially better.
Still, my Lord — it’s almost getting respectible to be a geek.
While LotR is one of the key source items for D&D and the like, lots of folks think it would make a lousy RPG. Ah, but if only you knew…
While LotR is one of the key source items for D&D and the like, lots of folks think it would make a lousy RPG.
Ah, but if only you knew the true story …
Game Three
The GM’s girlfriend has heard of the game and wants in. Being a long-time White Wolf player, she wants a character with many important secrets in his background, an angsty romantic subplot, and the ability to kick a lot of ass. The hobbit players nearly revolt when Aragorn is introduced at Bree, correctly noting that this character is far cooler than theirs. The encounter at Weathertop goes wonderfully, with the PCs getting beat up just enough to put some scare into them.
(via SfAD)
I have a wildly elaborate set of rules to send various pieces of e-mail on my home system into the right folder. Needless to say, it still doesn’t always work,…
I have a wildly elaborate set of rules to send various pieces of e-mail on my home system into the right folder. Needless to say, it still doesn’t always work, but …
Well, I have a D&D folder for generic/fantasy D20 e-mail messages. Sometimes odd, stray messages drop in there, but I just figured something odd was up with the rules.
The crowning irony (at least for the “Dungeons & Dragons Is the Tool of Satan!” crowd) was when I got home and found the minutes of our December church vestry meeting had been routed there.
Okay, that’s enough now …
Checked the rules. I’d pared them down quite a bit at one point because of false positives, but …
message body contains “d&d” or “hobbit” or “dwarves” or “ogre” or “dwarf” or “paladin” or “necropolis”
Well, that seems pretty straightforward. Problem is, I didn’t see any of that in the minutes. Something odd hiding in the headers? No. What the …
Okay, don’t pay attention to eyeballs, do a search.
Try “d&d.” Nope. Try “hobbit.” Nope. Try “dwarves.” Nope. Try “ogre.” No — huh?
Cue “D’oh” moment. “Ogre” happens to be a subset of the relatively common word, “progress.”
And given that I once had to take “elves” and “elf” out of there for the same reason, cue that “d’oh” again.
Well, one mystery solved, at least.
It’s the meme that’s sweeping the natiion the blogosphere bored bloggers! Take the following list of movies and boldface the ones you’ve seen. Then count ’em up and post the…
It’s the meme that’s sweeping the natiion the blogosphere bored bloggers! Take the following list of movies and boldface the ones you’ve seen. Then count ’em up and post the list! That’ll prove, um, how many of them you’ve, uh, seen! That’s it! That’s the ticket!
Probably the oddest interpretation of The Lord of the Rings I’ve happened across. Not that I’m saying it’s wrong (and perhaps it explains some of Christopher Tolkien’s cranky possessiveness about…
Probably the oddest interpretation of The Lord of the Rings I’ve happened across. Not that I’m saying it’s wrong (and perhaps it explains some of Christopher Tolkien’s cranky possessiveness about the his father’s work). Hell, I’ve heard weirder theories about other literature proposed with a much straighter face.
By the way, halfway through The Return of the King I figured out that the entire Lord of the Rings saga is an allegory for pregnancy.
Seriously, check it out. You got your Frodo and your Sam, trudging to the Crack of Doom, right? And that’s about as apt a description for pregnancy as you’re likely to find: nine months of trudging to Mordor.
… when we’ve got this? (via Fred; previously posted here)…
Andrea Harris is in new quarters, and she’s got a nice not-yet-a-review set of comments on RotK (natch). UPDATE: And, catching up with her, I find a reference to some…
Andrea Harris is in new quarters, and she’s got a nice not-yet-a-review set of comments on RotK (natch).
UPDATE: And, catching up with her, I find a reference to some sweet Theoden Extended Edition news, more good “Tolkien/LotR is racist” debunking, and an utterly, totally, and coffee-spewing hilarious Source-Criticism Analysis of LotR. Good stuff, all.