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the lord of the RINGS koldo almandoz   No. No, this is not a film about the rings that Marilyn Manson wears on his fingers. But, it could just be. The singer's para-normal look fits the film "como anillo al dedo". Okay, I admit that cheap word-play is nothing out of this world, but this film is supposed to be. Okay, alright, enough's enough.
This story by Tolkien was first adapted for the screen in 1978. In that animated version, loads of artists drew thousands of drawings over scenes previously filmed with real-life actors. The director Peter Lackson's stubbornness is behind this second attempt to adapt the story. Filming took place in New Zealand and had a reported budget of 160.000 euro. The three different parts have all been filmed together as the amount of actors involved and organisation needed for set design didn't permit any other reasonable alternatives.
Filming started in 1999 and has taken two years to complete. If the first part isn't as successful as hoped for, it will be interesting to see what kind of promotional tricks are used to sell the second two. Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchet, Elijah Wood, Vigo Mortensen, Christopher Lee are just some of a long list of actors and actresses appearing in the movie. James Horner, composer of the Braveheart, Aliens and Titanic soundtracks amongst others, has looked after the music.

Even though Disney tried to produce Tolkien's story on several occasions, the writer made it clear that he did not want the home of Mickey Mouse to be responsible for the filming of his work. Many different projects had bitten the dust until Peter Jackson's special effects company Weta Limited got involved. To quote the producer "Until now it hasn't been possible to adopt this story to the big screen. Only new special effects are capable of producing what is needed to create the magic of Tolkien's world". Where have we heard that one before?
A short note before I finish; an expert on Tolkienism has stated: "The Lord of The Rings!" is not to be mixed up with other stories about swords and sorcery because Tolkien`s heroes use spiritual and moral strength far more than they do physical.
So, now you know my little freaks, magic potions are one thing, but don't use the rings' strength to play role playing games and to kill people at the bus station.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in the South African city of Bloefontein in 1892. His father died when he was four and he went to England with his mother. The change of countries didn't bring much of a change to the young John's fortunes; his mother died just eight years after their arrival. He grew up with an Uncle and went to university where he achieved degrees in English and English Literature.
World War 1 broke out shortly after he got married and Tolkien was posted to the French Front. He was injured there and returned home. Around that time he started to write "The Book of Lost Tales". The story was based on tales he had heard in his childhood, and was the first in a long list of many. From then on he began to develop his imaginary world using legends from the North of Europe as it's backbone.
He gained success with "The Hobbit" and the "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy.
He died at the age of 81, and just as he once wrote: "one day I'll be like the moss and the withered leaves, and then I'll start to live all over again".