The Fireside

Today marks the 10th anniversary of James Cameron's Avatar (no, not the incredible Nickelodeon animated series, nor the crappy live action adaptation of it called The Last Airbender - which, I admit a better title to avoid confusion; though it's associated with that terrible film). The story should be the driving force of any film, and the story for Avatar .....well, it's been done before. Quite a few times actually. Cameron did a similar approach with Titanic - "Romeo and Juliet at Sea", essentially. So, looking at this film for the first time in...prolly 8 or 9 years (I saw it in the cinema, in glorious 2D ....) how does it hold up? Truth be told.....not that bad. Avatar was a technical marvel at its time, with the 3D aspect being a 'bonus.' In fact, virtually every major blockbuster from 2010 - 2017 (when 3D started to fizzle out) was made into 3D - usually converted in post-production after the films have finished shooting (in 2D). By today'...

HarperCollins looks set to re-publish the Tolkien illustrated editions. These have been in print ever since 1997, 2002 and 2004 from Houghton Mifflin (the US Tolkien publisher), though HarperCollins has discontinued these for a bit. Note these are the "UK editions" and as such, should be bought off of a UK-based bookseller: (Amazon UK, Blackwell's Waterstones, etc) to garuntee stock actually arriving to those retailers. There is no official cover art yet, but it looks to be very close to the 1997, 2002 and 2004 publications of the illustrated titles. The price seems to be indicative that that's the case. In that sense, they should all 'match.' I know that's important to some of you - myself included - so I'll be following this until it's published to see what the size dimensions are, and relay the info here. Images used are from the illustrated editions of the '00s. All titles are to be released May 14, 2020. Here are the ISBN #s - a direct ...

With Christmas coming up, we often 'give' and 'receive' gifts. With quite a few editions of each Tolkien book available, I wanted to showcase some - whether it's for you, or the giftee. There are a few other non-book items as well. I'm also providing links on where to get them: ~ THE HOBBIT (paperback edition) https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Hobbit-or-There-and-Back-Again-by-J-R-R-Tolkien-David-Wyatt/9780007458424 This copy is a great edition - whether you need a new one, don't have The Hobbit yet, or are looking to get someone you know into Tolkien. It's paperback, so yes, nothing special - however, it's size dimensions match the other HarperCollins paperbacks. Also, it includes chapter illustrations by David Wyatt, which can be presently found only in this edition. ~ THE HOBBIT (Collector's Edition) https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-There-Back-Again/dp/0395177111/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=9780395177112&qid=157142669...

I've always loved, and been inspired by various aspects of Tolkien's mythology: not only the in-universe lore itself, but how he came to create the tales. Even in the sense of 'prose' and 'verse.' I do not know much about epic poetry (beats? chanting?) I just enjoying reading them. I've always sort of been inspired to do my own Tolkien-esque poem...a 'lay' if you will. Somebody else, did just that. They didn't steal my idea, but this is what I would have liked to have done, or something very similar. The author is James Moffett. Many may know him best for his blog, "A Tolkienist's Perspective". This blog, my own, isn't a Tolkien specific one; however it's a key interest of mine so it gets lots of coverage. What follows is his blog post about the book, and the official description: Paperback: 176 pages Publisher: Independently published (Nov. 2 2019) [as far as I'm aware, only available through Amazon] Language: English ...

A few days ago, the news broke that in Europe there is a listing for The Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit film trilogies coming to 4K. The date mentioned was June 2020, however 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring . The article mentions that both theatrical and extended editions would be arriving. Now, what would I like these release(s) to be like? Here are some thoughts on how I'd like to see these released on 4K blu-ray (or UHD blu-ray): - HDR & Dolby Atmos, possibly Dolby Vision as well - both extended and theatrical editions to be included in the same set : not one set for theatrical, and one for extended. - 3 releases: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, and a set with both - the packaging for The Lord of the Rings to be nearly identical to the 12-disc extended DVD trilogy set from 2004. The Hobbit extended trilogy on DVD also had similar packaging. The blu-ray release had some elements carry over, though it's not qu...

Earlier today, the prequel novel to The Hunger Games trilogy, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was announced. Here is the official - as of now - description: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games. It is to be published on May 19 by Scholastic, and will be 624 pages. I imagine many book retailers are now offering pre-orders, so providing an ISBN won't be needed - especially given the popularity of the series.

Earlier today, details from the forthcoming deluxe edition of Letters From Father Christmas have been revealed. Here's the info: ISBN: 9780008327729 "This beautiful, deluxe slipcased edition of Tolkien’s famous illustrated letters from Father Christmas to his children includes for the first time every letter, picture and envelope that he sent them, reproduced in glorious colour. The perfect Christmas gift for Tolkien lovers of all ages. This classic festive book of Tolkien’s amazing Father Christmas letters written to his children between the 1920s and the 1940s has been reworked into a sumptuous, new deluxe edition. It contains brand new high-quality digital reproductions of his wonderful letters and pictures, including a number them that have never been printed before, a revised introduction by Baillie Tolkien, and a special full-colour, foldout frontispiece. ‘My dear children, I am more shaky than usual this year. The North Polar Bear’s fault. It was ...

So what do you think will be the next major Tolkien book? The Great Tales have now been completed, with the recent releases of Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin by way of their own dedicated books. Future anniversary editions (70th / 75th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings for instance) are expected as are new illustrated editions (while The Hobbit isn’t “new” Jemima Catlin’s illustrated edition is). There’s also collector’s editions, like the edition of Letters From Father Christmas to be released in a few months. Those out of the way; what could possibly be ‘the’ Tolkien book for 2020? There is The Book of Ishness, and I doubt enough material exists (though I’d welcome its release) for The Tale of Earendil as its own dedicated book. Then there’s the Amazon Middle-earth series: while no doubt tie-in books will come out (pertaining directly, and only to the series – like Weapons and Warfare for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy). I would not be ...

One of the things about great classic works from centuries past (or hundreds of centuries) is that, because they've been around for so long; and the original tales are so good, is that we have numerous translations from the original languages into English. Everyone has different tastes, and some may be in 'verse' or 'prose.' First up, would Robert Fagles. Fagles has given us amazing translations of 'the three great epics in Western literature.' These would be The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid . The first of those two are by Homer, and The Aeneid is by Virgil. Due to the immense success of these stories - separate or together - once the Fagles translations came out; it was quite the publishing event. Many people (from general or casual readers to full-fledged scholars) quite enjoyed these. Now, I'm not saying that the Fagles versions are the only good ones because that simply isn't true. However, it appears that Penguin has adopted the Fagles...

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. Big news day for those looking forward to Amazon's Wheel of Time series - myself included. We've got our main Two Rivers characters. I'll run through them again, and add the casting of Rosamund Pike. Rosamund Pike as Moraine: Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara: Zoe Robins as Nyanaeve al'Meara: Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon: Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere: Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor: Seems promising! Since that I am not overly attached to the books (I own them (in paperback), I read them, and I enjoyed them) I suppose that means that I'm looking forward to the adaptation. Whereas with Amazon's Middle-earth series, I am attached (quite strongly) to Tolkien's works, so my interest in the adaptation is fairly low as of now. I am looking forward to Netflix's...

Earlier today, this limited-edition, numbered, slipcased signed edition was announced. Only 3,000 will be printed! Official description follows below: Presenting two richly illustrated books in one elegant slipcase, this deluxe, limited edition boxed set celebrates in words and pictures the beautiful work that award-winning artist Alan Lee has created for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Sumptuously bound in full cloth, with a miniature colour image embossed into the front board, each large-format volume overflows with hundreds of delicate pencil drawings and conceptual sketches, and dozens of haunting watercolour paintings, including many brand-new Hobbit paintings and drawings that take us deeper into the magical world of Bilbo Baggins. This very special set unlocks the secret of how Alan creates his own Middle-earth magic and provides a fascinating insight into the imagination of the man who breathed new life into Tolkien...

Today was a slightly sad day....perhaps I am being overly dramatic, but it was slightly sad. Today I packed up and boxed my wii u and its games. I do not yet have a Switch (I most likely will at, or by, Christmas), so it wasn't done to 'make space', but rather because I played the wii u literally to its death. I got it in Sept 2013, and now (June 2019) - it's finished. What had happened, is that the GamePad can no longer hold a charge. It can charge, but it lasts approx 45 min - 1 hr 15 before The Red Light of Doom comes on, then starts flashing. The problem is, because the wii u 'failed' we got the Switch. Because of that , Nintendo stopped supporting it in 2017. That means no more GamePad battery replacement packs. I wish I had known of the 'extended' battery pack made by Nintendo which gives longer life (both to 'extend' and get a new battery for it.) There are sellers on Amazon, etc but the reviews have been mixed: fr...

Since the show ended, I've been thinking and re-thinking about the series on the whole, the final season, and the final episode. The final season has left the internet in an uproar. Most people seemed to have enjoyed it, however those that did not were very vocal about it. Our ‘current’ Ssn 7 and 8 were good - problem was, they were too ‘crammed.’ HBO offered more episodes / seasons, D&D should have taken and followed that plan. Or, at the very least, make Ssn 7 and 8 10 episodes each, each at least 70 min. Here’s how it should have been structured: Season 7: 10 episodes, about the Night King Season 8: 10 episodes, about ‘The Last War’ against Cersei Season 9 (final season): 10 episodes (each being 70 min at least) about the rebellion against the Queen of the Ashes. The final two episodes alone had enough potential for two seasons . Of course, that would probably be another three years; however I'm speaking strictly of formatting of the story that was told,...

Today The Crimes of Grindelwald is out on blu-ray and 4K, and the set includes an extended cut. Don't bother with the extended cut portion of the set. The extended cut is not on a disc . Which is pretty freaking stupid, considering that the product is physical media. To get the extended cut, they give you a code to redeem it ! It's not even on a disc, even though you're buying a disc! THAT is lazy and stupid, I think. I watched the extended cut, the added stuff does nothing to further the story or offer background info, character development... I wasn't expecting stuff like The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings level of difference, but the new scenes are 20 seconds - 2 minutes long each. We're talking less than what was added to extended version of the first Hobbit movie. Not only did they drop the ball on how to access that version of the film, but I would like to add the following points: 1) the opening title where you see the name of the movie, in the movi...

Amazon has finally fully (I never saw the point on posting about the map as it was being revealed) revealed their Middle-earth map, as well as a status update: "Welcome to the Second Age." Worthy of note is the inclusion of Numenor on the map of Middle-earth. This interesting, as most maps of Middle-earth (books, films etc) do not feature as it sinks into the sea during the Second Age, and most maps are of Middle-earth during the Third Age. There is a whole bunch of information I could pass on, so first I'll refer you to portions of the various books, relating to information about The Second Age, and Numenor itself. I should also add that The Second age was also known as "The Black Years" ('Black' in Tolkien means 'dark' (depression), corrupt, foul, etc.) IN PRINT: - in The Return of the King , read through the Appendices - in The Silmarillion , read Akallabeth (The Downfall of Numenor) - in Unfinished Tales , read Part Two: The Second Age. ...

Amazon Prime's Middle-earth series is now somewhat underway. Not long ago, they had created a Facebook page for the project: https://www.facebook.com/ LOTRonPrime/   , as well as a website: amazon.com/lotronprime . Aside from the map, not much has been uploaded yet. However, should you be interested in following the project, official updates will be there. I look forward to following the project as it progresses: cast, poster, trailer....and any associated merchandise. Hopefully, the merchandise won't be restricted to "Prime Members Only." I'm curious what types of merchandise and products we can expect to see associated with this. I remember from 2001-2003 HarperCollins drastically increased production on Tolkien items - both related to Peter Jackson's films and not. Can we expect to see some new editions, beyond imagery used as book covers? Also, back then bookstores were book stores - not like today where they are department stores that happen to se...

Many fans were hoping that the Switch would get Mario Maker ported over to it, like so many other titles from the wii u (as of now, the only titles that remain exclusive to the wii u are: Mario 3D World, Xenoblade X, and Pikmin 3 - I may be missing 1 or 2). It was announced that Nintendo is making Mario Maker 2 . When I was a kid, I used to draw Mario quite a bit. I often enjoyed sketching a 'screenshot' of a made-up level, almost Bob Ross style. I used to get quite creative: "What if I make this spiny green?? The regualr ones are red, and there's red and green koopas, so....oh! and how would it behave on-screen?" That was one such example I would enjoy thinking of. When Mario Maker came out, i was able to relieve and fulfill that aspect of my life, almost to its fullest. As great as the game was, it lacked a few minor elements that I would have loved to seen included, so I could make my levels more varied, and recreate some from Mario 1 and Mario 3 - ...

Hwaet! I have an interest in Icelandic and Old Norse myths and legends. The old sagas and tales, they interest me. Have I read any? No, not yet... This interest was initially sparked with the publication of Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun . It was marketed quite well by both Houghton Mifflin and HarperCollins. I got the book around the publication date of May 2009 I believe it was. Over the years, I've also dabbled my toes in other areas related to some of the old legends and tales. The following year, 2010, saw HarperCollins start their print-on-demand service for some specific titles. One of them was for the 50th anniversary publication of The Saga of King Heidrek by Christopher Tolkien. A few years following that, Penguin published some of their titles under the theme of 'Legends From the Ancient North'. Titles include: Beowulf, The Elder Edda, The Saga of the Volsungs, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (all are re-published and existing translations at t...

Highland Park's second of their Viking Legends series (the first being Valkyrie, the third being the upcoming Valfather) is now available in Canada. Or, Ontario, at least.  Here is what they have to say about it: "I know one thing which never dies: the reputation of each dead man" Poetic Edda, Hávamál, verse 77 STORY Created using a higher proportion of our local peated malt and predominantly matured in sherry seasoned oak casks to give this whisky its smoky, sweet flavour, VALKNUT is the second in our Viking Legend series, celebrating our rich Nordic ancestry here on Orkney. Valknut means ‘knot of those slain in battle’ and its symbol of three interlinked triangles appears on numerous artefacts from the Viking Age. The symbol is closely associated with the Norse god, Odin, who guided the spirits of the dead to the underworld and back to the world of the living, and is believed to represent the transition from life to death or the connection between ...