Lord of the Rings on Sound and Spirit, and on DVD

[pegkerr]

I think I mentioned this previously, but it's worth mentioning again, in case anyone missed the announcement: Ellen Kushner's National Public Radio program, Sound & Spirit, is doing a one hour program on Lord of the Rings this week. Check the website here to find out when it's playing in your area. I heard about half of this program at World Fantasy, and it is really worth hearing. She talks about LOTR, how it came to be written, its influence on fantasy writers (an interview with Michael Swanwick is included), and the music it has inspired, including filking (there's a hilarious Elvis-inspired parody of Aragorn entitled something like "It's Good to be King.") If you catch it, let me know what you think. If you miss it, you can order a transcript and bibliography of the show.

Also of interest at the Sound & Spirit web site is Ellen Kushner's list "Fantasy Literature It's OK to read." Many of you know that Ellen is quite a good fantasy novelist herself.

For those of you in Minneapolis, it will play on WCAL (89.3 FM) at 9:00 p.m. this Saturday.

I didn't get to watch the entire DVD last night. I had to deal with putting the girls to bed, and (feh!), I have to go to work today, so I didn't want to stay up too late. Also, annoyingly, the DVD kept freezing, so the words drifted out of synch from the pictures. I'm using the wrong software to play it, but I don't want to change my default software to play this one DVD.

However, I did see enough to make me very happy. Will pick up from the Mines of Moria tonight. Can't wait.

[Note: For those of you who have bought the extended DVD, you do know where to find the hidden theatrical trailer, don't you, the one that was played in the theaters at the end of the movie last spring, just before Fellowship of the Ring left the theaters (the one that starts with Aragorn picking up the brooch that Pippin let fall)? Go to the second disk, to the place in the menu where you can play the movie by sections. The last section (I think it's either 47 or 48) is for the fan credits. Click below that point on the column (there won't be a number at all, just scroll down lower), and the hidden "easter egg" theatrical trailer will come up.]

Cheers,
Peg

Comments

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Elvis and Aragorn reminded me of the old Tom Smith song, Return of the King, Uh-Huh (http://www.tomsmithonline.com/lyrics/returnking.htm). Could this be what you heard? Then again, it's not like nobody else ever thought of combining Elvis and Tolkien, so it might have been something else.

Yes, that's probably it

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

She also included music from a Dutch group that sings their arrangements of Tolkien's songs (the "Hobbitons," I think???) I remember that she also included the filk "High Fly the Nazgul-o." Also a symphony suite based on The Lord of the Rings (don't remember the composer but no, it wasn't Howard Shore, who did the movie soundtrack). She didn't included any of the Donald Swann ("Have some madeira, M'Dear") "The Road Goes Ever On" Song Cycle. I did like very much the music she did include, what I heard of it (as I said, I only got to hear about half the program).

Peg

[ex-mahoney365.livejournal.com]

>>>Also of interest at the Sound & Spirit web site is Ellen Kushner's list "Fantasy Literature It's OK to read." <<<

But! Roger Zelazny isn't on the list anywhere. :( And as much as I like, for example, Stardust, many of Zelazny's are quite a bit better....

Not that there aren't hundreds of authors to pick and choose from, of course. ;) Interesting list. Haven't heard of many of them. Might look into some.

[odyssea.livejournal.com]

What a coincidence! I just finished reading Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint. Too bad I live so far away and don't get to hear her show. And now more books for me to find and read! How I'll ever graduate, I don't know.

I'm glad you're having fun with the extended DVD. I need to get myself a copy!

[rachet.livejournal.com]

ARGH!! I've been driving myself nuts over that easter egg! I can't get it to work on mine. *sobbing uncontrollably*

*sigh* Oh well. The extended DVD gave me some great extra hobbit treats anyway. I can go on without the trailer....maybe...*sniffle*

Loved it when Pippin and Merry heard that they were only to eat a nibble of the bread to get full!!! I had to back that part up over and over and over again.