The Tolkien trailer we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! I'm thrilled! It looks like the movie will be placing a lot of emphasis on Tolkien's youth, war years, and his own personal story of Beren and Lúthien. Directed by Dome Karukoski, the movie looks like it's going to be really great. With high-tech visuals and a captivating trailer, it's probably going to be of very high quality as well. I also enjoyed that the fantastic elements in the trailer looked original and not based on the movies made after his death. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on the trailer. How do you think the movie will turn out? Are you excited? Or do you think they are going to fantasize his life too much?    

      We all know what happened when Gandalf confronted the Balrog in Moria. We also know his famous words of defiance on the bridge of Khazad-Dûm. “You cannot pass...I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the shadow! You cannot pass.” (FOTR 370) But…what did he mean by this. Here I’m going to delve into his words so we can interpret, or at least get a general idea of, what he was referring to. You Cannot Pass       This phrase is self-evident. Gandalf goal was to protect the company. Stopping the Balrog from reaching them would be the obvious move to achieve this. But did he really think he was capable of conquering it?       To answer that, let’s zoom out a little. Gandalf is a Maia and a member of the Istari, or the Wizards. That might not seem like much since the Balrog could also claim to be a Maia. However, Gandalf had been described in the Silmarillion as bein