This is interesting!! Maybe I should read the books now... Maybe we should have a reading group...Riella, you wouldn't want to re-read them by any chance?

Lu

We should! I just bought the LotR and Hobbit boxed set and I want to read them again. I probably won't start until this summer though because I'm just so busy for the next three weeks with finals.

A reading group would be fantastic. I recently read through The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring and got about halfway through The Two Towers. So I'm itching to talk about them.

A reading group would be a fantastic idea, since the rings are important in them. Especially at that council in Rivendell. I think though there is a lot of information in the appendices of LOTR.

Sauron wants to take over the world. He hands out rings to people that enslave/corrupt them (except three).
In order for Sauron to take over the world, he has to get all the rings back and unite them.
When he takes over the world, he will use the One Ring. Because the One Ring has the power to enslave the world.
The One Ring, now that it's been taken from him, must be kept from him. Because if Sauron has the One Ring, he is unstoppable.

I think it was not Sauron who made the rings that hte elves and dwarves had. It was Celebrimbor, who was clever with metalworking. and who was the grandson of one of the mightiest elves of the Noldor - some Celtic name I can't remember. Was it Maedhros? Or Maglor, Maeglin, or something starting with Curu or Cele? Can't be sure. Anyway, Sauron cosied up to Celebrimbor, got him to show how such rings are made, and then used the information for his own benefit.

Sauron made the One Ring, a sort of override of the rest, Celebrimbor perceived what he had done and that he, himself, had been betrayed. And so hid the three Elven Rings. Sauron must have had access to the 9 rings made for mortal men doomed to die, because he gave them out to nine kings and lords of men who became the Nazgul or Ringwraiths. Some of the rings owned by the dwarves had been destroyed, but Sauron took one of them at least from Thrain in Dol Guldur. Gandalf said he got there too late.

Sauron's ring was entirely corrupt and would corrupt anything that came into contact with it, including, especially, the other rings. When it was finally destroyed, the Elven rings, which had been pitted against it, would lose their own power and would have to pass back over the water. I think that is how it goes.

Sauron captured the rings he passed out to humans and dwarves when he slaughtered the elves of Eregion and destroyed the ring forges. He didn't have a physical need to possess them, he used the rings of power to corrupt powerful leaders of the various sentient races so that they would side with him. That's why the elves were unable to use their rings while he had the One Ring.

The impression I've always had of what the Ring actually does is that it is something like a megaphone for the natural abilities of the wearer. A human wearing it could become a powerful leader, but those with inherent powers like elves and Maia would become much more powerful.

Possibly. But the men who got the 9 rings didn't die properly. Something like Voldemort in HP. They just faded but remained around until the One Ring was destroyed. In particular the Witch King of Angmar, their leader. Bookwyrm, I've no doubt you are right, and I can see what you mean.

But I've also thought that the One Ring, and perhaps others, allowed the wearer to see into two dimensions at once. Both in the physical plane and increasingly in the spiritual plane you might say. Yes, wearing it might confer invisibility, like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. But it makes you painfully visible to Sauron, if not his minions. It also heightens senses like hearing, in particular, and awareness of what else is around people.

It makes one invisible in this realm but Sauron and the Nasgul could see (or at least smell) the wearer better with the ring on. In Fellowship of the Ring early in the book Frodo jokes that if he keeps on the adventure he will lose more weight and become like a wraith. And someone, I think Strider tells him that's not something to joke about. I think that's what happens to the owner of the ring, they become long-lived but more and more wraith-like.

Fili has been recast and Thranduil!!!!
Very Happy with Thranduil!

And Hugo Weaving (Elrond) has been on The Hobbit set! It is still unconfirmed if Hugo Weaving will be returning as Elrond, but I'm hoping that is the reason he is on set.

Here are both the links:

Fili and Thranduil Cast
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/04 ... -facebook/

Elrond
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/04 ... obbit-set/

I just saw the news that Lee Pace was cast and I'm very confused. Lee Pace is an excellent actor and an excellent comedic actor. I'm used to seeing him in endearing, charming roles, not as the elegant serious king of the elves. I'm sure he'll be able to act the part, but I'm not sure he'll look it. His face is too round.

Welll.... TORN is now saying that saorise roan is not going to be itaril anymore... i guess that ends that debate...

^^ *is very upset by this*

I was so looking forward to seeing her as an Elf...

I wonder who will play Itaril, if anyone.

~Riella

I just saw the news that Lee Pace was cast and I'm very confused. Lee Pace is an excellent actor and an excellent comedic actor. I'm used to seeing him in endearing, charming roles, not as the elegant serious king of the elves. I'm sure he'll be able to act the part, but I'm not sure he'll look it. His face is too round.

I'm feeling exactly the opposite as you in his casting of Thranduil. He's my second favorite casting announcement so far (first being Martin Freeman as Bilbo). I saw him in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and just loved him in there. He was quiet, solemn, sometimes witty... I think he'll be fantastic. And I don't see what you're talking about as far as his face being round. He has wider cheekbones perhaps, but no more so than Orlando Bloom.

Add some blue eyes and blond hair and I can totally see it.

In case no one has heard yet, AMC Theaters is going to be showing all three of The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions in theaters in promotion of The Lord of the Rings Blu-Ray coming out on June 28th!
They will be showing:
The Fellowship of the Ring - June 14
The Two Towers - June 21
The Return of the King - June 28

We bought our tickets today!
It will be great fun to see all of the Extended Editions on the big screen!

Here is the Link:
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/05 ... ght-event/

Aw man! I've been saying that they should bring the trilogy back to theatres! It's been 10 years since the first one was released, so it makes sense.
Unfortunately, our small one theatre with one screen would never go for it.

I just noticed something while watching LOTR FOTR EE... Is that the camera guy that you see in the reflection of the ring?

Screenshot: http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h36 ... ous/82.jpg

~Riella

Wow, I never noticed that... I guess someone could say it's the camera guy, or if you really want to stretch it, could you say it's Gandalf? Or is he too far to be in the reflection?