The Sauron Strategies: One war to win them all, except..

by Michael Martinez, Friday, October 19, 2001

In the First Age, Morgoth attempted to overwhelm his Eldarin foes by throwing everything possible at them. Usually, his armies met with mixed success. Even the Nirnaeth Arnoediad proved to be so costly a victory that Morgoth could not fully capitalize on the defeat of the Elven armies and their allies. He seized Hithlum and the March of Maedhros, restored his troops to Dorthonion, and took full control over the upper Vale of Sirion. But the Falas, Nargothrond, Doriath (and Brethil, which was technically a part of Doriath), and Gondolin each had to be dealt with separately. In the Second Age, Sauron attempted to duplicate Morgoth's dubious successes with sudden onsloughts, hoping to achieve crushing military victories. Yet, he lacked Morgoth's advantages. Whereas most of Middle-earth was under Morgoth's control, Sauron had to continually engage in empire building. And whereas Morgoth's chief fortress of Angband was closely ringed about by his enemies, Sauron positioned himself in Mordor with the intention of deploying agents and forces to work against both the Eldar in the north and the Numenoreans in the south. Numenorean settlements had not advanced very far north by the time Sauron forged the One Ring around the year 1600. The great fortresses of Pelargir, on the lower Anduin, and Umbar would not be established for more than 600 years. Numenorean power was at best a promise of future conflict. But when Gil-galad called upon Numenor to help prepare Eriador for the coming war, the Numenoreans invested nearly 100 years in fortifying positions along the Gwathlo and Lhun rivers. By the time Sauron began to move his forces north, his enemies had multiple lines of defense. Which is not to say that Sauron should have been repulsed. The histories make it clear that Sauron seized Tharbad and pushed his way into Eregion with relative ease. Ost-en-Edhil held out for a while, possibly as long as a year. Elrond's attempt to reinforce Eregion failed and he had to retreat north. Sauron sent an army to keep Elrond out of the way. And, apparently, at the same time he was destroying Eregion, Sauron sent an army east of the Misty Mountains to root out the Elven and Edainic peoples there, the latter of whom had long been allied with the Longbeard Dwarves. So, Sauron not only gave his enemies a long time to prepare for the war, he spread his forces thinly when he launched the war. Gil-galad was able to consolidate most of his surviving forces at the Lhun after being pushed back from the Baranduin river. Sauron overran Eriador, but Tolkien notes that Sauron killed or drove off the Men and Elves living throughout the region. Those who were driven off fell back to Elrond's encampment in Imladris or Gil-galad's kingdom. The two regions were thus strengthened by Sauron's advancing campaign. Ultimately, it required massive intervention from Numenor to defeat Sauron, but the lesson he learned from the war was that Numenor was going to be more trouble than Lindon. Tolkien tells us that war never ceased between the Elves and Sauron after that time, yet Sauron altered his strategic goals. He began conquering more territory in the east. And, gradually, as Sauron extended his power southward he came into conflict with the Numenorean colonies along the southern coasts of Middle-earth. Numenor had been colonizing Middle-earth since around the year 1200, but about the year 1800 the Numenoreans began establishing fortresses, levying tribute from local peoples, and conquering occupied lands. Numenor became a rival power with which Sauron had to contend. In fact, it proved impossible for Sauron to defeat Numenor in the field, and he finally overcame the Numenoreans through a subtrefuge which brought about Numenor's destruction and the death of most of its people. Read the full article here.

London LoTR premier date moved up

by Michael Martinez, Thursday, October 18, 2001

To December 10, according to Reuters news agency. LONDON (Reuters) - The first film in the ``Lord of the Rings'' trilogy will hold its premiere in London in December, the film's makers said on Thursday. The reworking of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale of hobbits, dwarves and wizards is expected to be one of the biggest films in years. ``The world premiere will be in London on December 10,'' said a spokeswoman for New Line Cinema. ``We can't say any more at the moment.'' She said more details would be released in the next few days. ``The Fellowship of the Ring'' is the first of three Tolkien films made back-to-back in New Zealand for a reported 207 million pounds ($330 million). Directed by New Zealander Peter Jackson, the film stars Australia's Cate Blanchett and British stars Ian McKellen and Ian Holm. American actor Elijah Wood, who plays Frodo Baggins, this week launched the film's international fan club by signing up as the first member. Read the full article here.

Toy Biz formally announces action figures

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, October 17, 2001

In a press release much too lengthy to be included here (in this reporter's humble opinion), Toy Biz toots its horn and lists the LoTR action figures they are hoping will keep them from suffering with the rest of the US business sector in the latest recession. Here is an excerpt from the hype and hoopla: NEW YORK, NY -- Feel the sword lunging, arrow attacking excitement as Toy Biz, a division of Marvel Enterprises (NYSE: MVL), introduces an action-packed line-up of products inspired by one of the most momentous movie events of all time -- New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings. Widely heralded as the book series of the century, the cinematic version of J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned literary phenomenon is destined to be one of the hottest movies of 2001 as it boasts a colossal fan base and story line of immeasurable depth. On December 19, 2001, New Line will release the eagerly awaited The Fellowship of the Ring -- the first of the grand trilogy. Films two and three -- The Two Towers and Return of the King -- are scheduled to hit theatres Holiday 2002 and 2003. Featuring an all-star cast including Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Sir Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Sir Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood, audiences worldwide will finally encounter the magical creatures and characters that have made these books best-sellers for more than over 40 years. Toy Biz will add to the film's frenzy with an incredibly diversified line of toy products that brings home the magic of the movie. The initial wave of action figures and accessories, role-play items, and collectible marbles will be in stores this fall. To view Toy Biz’s, The Lord of the Rings toys go to www.marvel.com/toybiz/lotr. Intricately sculpted in the likenesses of the actors, each item employs a combination of laser scanned technology and top talent sculptors, resulting in incredibly detailed figures that flawlessly captures the authenticity of the characters and accessories from the live-action film. Toy Biz will bring The Lord of the Rings line of action-packed toys to life by combining a number of dynamic action features -- including sound, movement, and light-up features -- allowing kids to re-enact the battles between elves, dwarves and wizards and the forces of evil. TheOneRing.Net has the full text here.

Charter members of official fan club to be mentioned on DvDs

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Decipher has opened The Official Lord of the Rings fan club. For a limited time, charter members who sign up (annual memebrship rates are published on the Web site) will be included in a special fan credits section on one or more of the DvDs for the movies. Elijah Woods signed up as the first charter member (as Frodo).

Sept 11 attacks may pre-empt LoTR television promotions

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Variety is reporting that numerous movie promotions, from actor interviews to commercials and associated television specials, have been or may be pre-empted on American network television. In a news story reported on Yahoo! Daily News, Variety notes that New Line Cinema is looking into alternative options for promoting its upcoming December 19 release of Peter Jackson's "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first of three "Lord of the Rings" movies. Bruce Willis, whose latest movie "Bandits" premiered this weekend with a dismal $13.1 million box office catch to clinch the no. 2 spot in weekly box office rankings, was scheduled for television appearances to promote the movie. The media's focus on the latest terrorist scares over Anthrax letter attacks has forced the cancellation of more television programming. New Line Cinema may go ahead with radio and newspaper ads, and sending a promotional DvD to reporters, in an effort to generate as much advance publicity for the "Fellowship" movie as possible. NOTE: Fox will reportedly air their LoTR television special in November.

Houghton Mifflin release special LoTR Day video

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, October 14, 2001

Selected bookstores around the U.S. will feature a special 20-minute video about the Tolkien publishing phenomenon on November 8, which Houghton Mifflin has declared to be "Lord of the Rings Day". TheOneRing.Net has a press release listing bookstores and their addresses.

First movie soundtrack to be released on November 20

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, October 14, 2001

Amazon.Com has a listing of the soundtrack's titles. Pre-release orders have pushed the soundtrack to a top-200 listing on Amazon, which carries several million items in its catalogue.

Tolkien family condemns Jackson's movie project

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, October 13, 2001

Richard at http://www.tlotr.com/ advised us of a scan from the Daily Express on his Web site. The article opens with the ominous announcement: "As the fantasy world of The Lord of the Rings is brought to life on the big screen, the author's family has bitterly condemned the project." The article cites an experience by David Day, author of many much-reviled books on Tolkien, who reportedly received an angry letter from Christopher Tolkien calling him "an ass" and saying Day is "more like a burglar then a writer". Day's books, although popular with general Tolkien audiences, are regarded as poorly researched and take extensive liberties with the Tolkien canon. See a scan of the article at http://www.tlotr.com/article_stuff/articles/articles_theexpress_121001.htm. Click on the image to bring up a larger view.

The Sauron Strategies: Footsteps into failure

by Michael Martinez, Saturday, October 13, 2001

Sun Tzu points out the wisdom of the "divide and conquer" strategy, but he also advocated the use of massive, overwhelming, superior force whenever it was available. The art of war is indeed an art, for both sides in any given war have the potential to learn and adapt. One of the notable qualities of Middle-earth history is Sauron's mutability. He alters his strategies. In the First Age, Sauron was just one of several captains serving Morgoth. Sauron's generalship is never really explored. We learn more about his cunning ability to ferret out enemies, and his willingness to engage in personal combat at considerable risk to himself. Morgoth, on the other hand, relies upon stealth and massive, overwhelming, superior numbers. It seems to be Morgoth's perpetual weakness that he confuses numbers with force. Of course, Morgoth pulled off a few major victories. In fact, he crushed the Eldarin civilization in Beleriand and reduced the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost to sideline players. But Morgoth missed the big picture. While he dithered around in the north with the Noldor, most of Middle-earth escaped his attention. The Valar took advantage of Morgoth's intense interest in Beleriand and the Noldor to isolate him there and inflict the final defeat upon him. The outcome of the War of Wrath was that Morgoth was captured and his forces reduced to probably no more than a few vagabond groups of Orcs, Trolls, and Men. At most, only a handful of the corrupted Maiar probably escaped, and at least a couple of the winged dragons as well (since a breeding population of dragons survived into the Third Age and beyond). Of the Maiar, we can be sure that two were Sauron and the Balrog of Khazad-dum. The Balrog withdrew from all political entanglements for over five thousand years. Read the full article here.

Quinstreet launches Lord of the Rings collection

by Michael Martinez, Friday, October 5, 2001

Xenite.Org has been selected to participate in a special Web promotion campaign for Quinstreet's Lord of the Rings collection, which includes waterglobes, ornaments, secret boxes, and more. The collectibles are based on scenes and characters from the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" movies. Because Xenite.Org is promoting the items as an affiliate, we will not repost our story here on Speculative Vision. Some previews may be seen at our story concerning the merchandise. The products are made available through GiftGiving.Com. All the links in the Xenite.Org story have affiliate codes in them, so any purchases made through those links will benefit Xenite.Org (which uses the money to underwrite Web-hosting expenses). The merchandise is available for presale only through November. Shipping and delivery dates have yet to be announced. However, here is a picture of the Arwen secret box (no affiliate codes):

LoTR movie artifacts to go on display in Toronto

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, October 3, 2001

TORONTO -- With the enthusiasm for the "Lord Of The Rings" movies building to a fever pitch, the film's artistic directors have decided to show off some of their wares before the first film's December release. Costumes, props, and still photos from the upcoming film fantasy trilogy will be among items in the "A Journey To Middle Earth" collection on display from Halloween through Nov. 11 at Casa Loma in Toronto, the first -- and, for now, only -- city in North America to receive the exhibit. Among the promised artifacts to be displayed are the swords of Gandalf, Aragon and Frodo, Elven glassware, hobbit prosthetics, and furniture from Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole. Frank Mendicino, the VP of Marketing for Alliance Atlantis, has been working on promotion for "Lord Of The Rings" in Canada for more than two years now, and dreamed of doing something big. "I've been treating this film not as a film release but as a major world-wide event," Mendicino told JAM! Showbiz. "I wanted to have something special in Toronto. It was important to me to find something that nobody had ever done before. To me, the exhibit of props, costumes and designs of the film is very different. I don't think anyone's ever done this before, and I wanted this. I pushed and pushed and I got it. We're the only place in North America having this exhibit." Read the full article here

New Line offering "Behind the Lord of the Rings" DvD

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, October 3, 2001

TheOneRing.Net has posted a review of a 17-minute DvD that New Line Cinema will start shipping with its "Lord of the Rings" JVC DvD player on October 10th. Review and screen captures are available here.

Oh, yes. E! Online's Force of Hobbit updates...

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, September 30, 2001

A little early. In fact, Tolkien Online found the update on Saturday, September 29, but who is watching? Howard Shore talks about how he composed the soundtrack. A few other tidbits have been thrown in as usual, too.

Lord of the Rings cracks top 300 search terms

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, September 30, 2001

The weekly WordTracker report revealed something interesting today: Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' is now in the top 300 search terms. That means that enough people are now looking for information about The Lord of the Rings on the various search services monitored by WordTracker that their free report, showing the 500 most popular search phrases each week, that it finally came in at 169 in the "Top 300 Surge Report". "Harry potter" is listed at 161. The WordTracker report is based on a continuous evaluation of searches performed at several of the most popular services. The "Top 300 Surge Report" shows the most popular terms being searched on over the previous 24 hours. A more long-term listing shows the 200 most popular terms for the past 2 months, as reported by popular meta search enginges like Metacrawler and Dogpile. Search Engine Optimization specialists and competitive Webmasters subscribe to the WordTracker report to learn what people are looking for on the search engines each week. The most popular keywords over the past year have included "sex", "mp3", "jennifer lopez", "britney spears", "napster", "real estate", "hotmail", "yahoo", and "ebay". Since September 11, the search engines have been swamped with requests for links about "Osama bin Laden", "world trade center", "gas masks", and "nostradamus". The emergence of "harry potter" and "the lord of the rings" -- while not unexpected, since the movies' release dates are approaching -- is a bit surprising, considering the grave matters which have distorted search statistics from normal traffic patterns in recent weeks.

Riding in carts with Hobbits

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, September 30, 2001

There will probably never be a "Half-days of Thunder" movie, celebrating the wild cart-races between Hobbiton and Bywater. Hobbits by nature are a stay-at-home folk whose wildest risks tend to be along the lines of stealing mushrooms and getting in and out of boats. Sure, the occasional Took goes off to Sea, but until Gandalf enticed Bilbo and Frodo Baggins into wandering around Middle-earth, Hobbits had probably not spent much time outside their own lands for more than a thousand years. There was a certain propriety which accompanied the literary Hobbit, a sense of "all was well right up until this point". And that was a false sense of propriety. The hobbits, like the Elves, had their own regrets and concerns. The Shire-folk had forgotten (or liked to pretend they had forgotten) that they once lived in Bree. Bree was now a foreign land. And before Bree they once lived in the lands east of the Weather Hills, or south of the Gwathlo river. Hobbit stories don't become interesting until someone shakes up their lives. Every day, for many years, Hobbits will live quietly in their hills and gardens, and then one day someone comes along and takes away their innocence. It might be a Necromancer who turns Greenwood the Great into Mirkwood. Or it might be a Witch-king who unleashes a devastating series of wars. Or it could be a wandering wizard who decides he needs to set right a few wrongs, and realizes that Hobbits might just escape close scrutiny long enough to accomplish a few things. Whatever the cause, there comes a day in many a Hobbit's life when he packs up the family in one or more carts and heads off into the countryside. Such migrations, or flights, have to be hard on anyone. The leaders of the ancient Helvetii, a group of Celtic tribes who lives in the Alps, east of Gaul (France), forced their people to burn their homes and villages. The Helvetii and their allies entered Gaul with nothing but their carts and such animals as they could keep with them. There was to be no turning back for them. The decision to leave their Alpine homeland must have been hotly debated. The Helvetii couldn't simply just up and go on a whim. Some scholars, through the years, have suggested -- in fact, have insisted -- that the Helvetii were following an ancient Celtic practice called ver sacrum, a ritual expansion of tribes into new territories. The Celts of northern Italy shared tribal names with Celts in the Alpine region, and with Celts in Gaul. Read the full article here

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