Last night I went to see Tolkien and I was thrilled with the production. I would highly suggest you go see it too. Despite the mixed reviews it has received, I think it was very well made and acted. The many time jumps helped to make the movie captivating and the plot moving forward at a fast pace. They also made the graphic parts less disturbing. Personally, I would have been overwhelmed if the violent scenes were put all together.       Speaking of violence, the graphic scenes shown are actually quite excessive for a PG-13 rated movie. However, since those scenes are shown in small doses, I don’t think they are too traumatizing for ages ten and up, though all parents should decide for themselves.       Throughout, the biopic followed Tolkien from his early teens until he started writing the Hobbit. I think Nicholas Hoult really nailed his role from the start. Also, the amount of research conducted was palpab...

         In honor of the biopic Tolkien , which is coming out in two weeks, this post is focused on where we can find Tolkien’s experiences from World War I in his writing. Though many know Tolkien served in World War I, not many are familiar with how it impacted his writing even decades later. Though we likely will never know the extent of which his experiences made their way into the legendarium, here we will explore which parts of his work likely originated from Tolkien’s personal adventure in one of most widespread wars in human history. The Fall of Gondolin    There is no place where the reality of World War I is more evident than in The Fall of Gondolin. There, the city is prosperous and the people could be described as living happily and in harmony, all while safe from the brutality that plagued the rest of the world. At the time, Gondolin resembled a Utopia, yet tensions between two characters caused one solitary ev...

     A new trailer of Tolkien has come out! Here more visuals are shown, so I'll let you form your own ideas. To me, it looks like the movie is going to focus heavily on Tolkien's university and war years along with the epic love story between John and Edith.

      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...

       The Tolkien movie that we've all been waiting for has just announced today  that it will be released in theaters this year! The movie will star Nicholas Hoult as Tolkien and Lily Collins. This is the first time that Tolkien’s story will be made live  on the screen as a major motion picture. Look out for it on May 10, 2019 I will post more information as soon as developments arise.

      Many who have watched the extended edition of the LOTR movies or have read the books will The Ring of Barahir as seen in the Lord of the Rings movies remember hearing or seeing brief mentions of the “Ring of Barahir”. However, most don’t anything about it. Here we will see and discuss everything there is to know about this splendid piece of jewelry.       In the movie, the Ring is mentioned when Grima returns to Saruman in Isengard. He gives his report and mentions who was with Gandalf at the time. When he speaks about Aragorn he mentions that he looked like one of the Dúnedain Rangers and had a strange ring on his finger. Aragorn also consistently wears the ring throughout. The Ring’s History       The ring has its origins way back into the First Age. Barahir, for whom the ring was named, was the father of Beren. He became the Lord of the house of Bëor after his brother’s dea...

Today is Tolkien’s 127th birthday!!!

      I had never seen a sunrise. I just didn’t see the point. Watching a sunrise would be just as exciting as watching a sunset, which, though pretty, wasn’t exactly a novel sight. Then there was the problem of getting up early enough to catch even the last rays of color before the sky turned into a dull blue backdrop. But when I finally caught sight of my first sunrise, it was magical. That’s because it was set above a mirror of clear, crystal waves advancing one by one along the shoreline. My first sight of the sea.        What met my eyes was a crystal cloud displayed like glass, accented with rays of light trying to escape from its overbearing presence. I saw the tide leaving the shore, the retreating waves crashing inwards in some feeble show of resistance. I saw the deep blue waves, not only blue, but many colors both reflecting and drawing out the sunrise above. To say it made an impression would be an understa...

J.R.R. Tolkien stood in a “woodland glade filled with hemlocks” in Yorkshire England, where he was serving in the army and recovering from trench fever in 1972. His wife Edith was with him, and there she started dancing, leaving the memory deep within his conscience. That experience evolved into the first epic of Middle Earth, Beren and Lúthien. “She was the source of the story that in time would become the chief part of the Silmarillion ” (Letters 420). Indeed, it’s not hard to find parallels between the story of two lovers and Tolkien’s own life. However, it was hardly the first time (or the last) that his experiences made their way into his writing. The story of Beren and Lúthien features Beren, a man, who discovers Lúthien, an immortal elf, dancing in a “woodland glade” and falls in love with her. However, the lovers’ plight is doomed since her father decreed they cannot get married until Beren recaptures one of the Silmarils, a hopeless task, from the crown of Morgoth, the dar...