The Tolkien Professor

<p>We review the results of our casting poll from Session 16 and discuss what we’d like to see our newly cast … uh, cast … wear.</p>

<p>Following up on our casting conversation, this time we’re talking about how we want things to look. What type of forests should fill Valinor? What architecture styles should we use for the Valar (and the elves who copy them)? What other visual considerations do we need to make?</p>

<p>Now that we’ve mapped out the characters, plot and action of the 13-episode first season, we get to decide who we’d like to see play the parts! This casting call includes a discussion forum component, so be sure to join in the fun!</p>

<p>In the 2-hour season finale, the culmination of the strife amongst the Valar comes to a head with three councils, two summonings, and an epic battle that will establish the Platonic ideal for all future battles.</p>

<p>We’ve gone too long without discussing the Mûmakil in the room: those darn orcs. In this session, we stop kicking that tin ration packaging down the road and deal with the inevitable.</p>

<p>In this episode, we explore why Aulë does what he does, showing parallels with Melkor and planting the seeds of impatience for the Coming of the Children of Iluvatar amongst the Valar.</p>

In the final episode of Riddles in the Dark (really), Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert go over the extended edition of the final film in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. Emotions run high as they consider the tying up (or not) of loose ends and the various arcs that may or may not have worked.

<p>Subtitle: If you have a Balrog, you don’t need a cat. In which we start to link together all of the subplots and develop the first multi-episode story arc.</p>

<p>In Episode 9, we begin to look at the downfall of various Ainur, setting the stage for the three rebellions that happen over the rest of the season: Aulë’s rebellion, Mairon’s (Sauron’s) rebellion, and Ossë’s rebellion.</p>

<p>In the eighth episode of Season 1, we focus on the Two Trees, showing how they help to beautify Valinor – and instill jealousy and devious plans in Melkor.</p>

<p>In today’s session, we come up with a new tagline for the SilmFilm Project: “It’s better than Jackson could have come up with.” Also, we talk about the establishment of Valinor and provide a view of the Valar settling into their new homes.</p>

Support The Tolkien Professor

<p>After wrapping up some loose ends from the previous session, we shape episode 6 into something of a “whodunit” murder mystery, with the victims being the Lamps of the Valar.</p>

<p>In Episode 5, we discuss the decision to create the lamps and the introduction of Tulkas</p>

<p>In the fourth episode of Season 1, we determine how Melkor meets the other Valar and focus on the end of the Ainulindalë and Iluvatar’s conversation with Ulmo.</p>

<p>We continue to discuss central themes of the season, in particular focusing on Melkor – including what the heck to call him (as well as others who experience name changes in The Silmarillion, like Sauron).</p>

<p>Today we are figuring out the content of the frame story and the Silmarillion story for episode 2 and how to tie it all together.</p>

<p>It’s time to discuss the Music of the Ainur, one of the most thought-provoking and beautiful stories Tolkien wrote. This is a central core concept that, while it’s detached from the “main” story of The Silmarillion, it’s always there in the background.</p>

<p>We continue our discussion about the overall narrative of Season 1, as well as focus on the elements of the frame story that will encompass the show.</p>

<p>We will begin by discussing the overall plot of the first season and the major events that we want to occur during the season, including the Music of the Ainur, creation of Arda, the making of the Two Lamps, and the arrival of the Valar.</p>

Adaptation has been a topic that has intrigued many Mythgardians, including Signum University President Corey Olsen (also known as The Tolkien Professor). From music and art to film to The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) video game, the inspiration that the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have offered continues to be of interest to Corey and his podcast listeners. In a recent Tolkien Chat, Corey took on another sort of adaptation: the new Middle-earth Lore Series. A brainchild of Joel “Andang” Shepherd, the director of the Players Alliance (a Mythgard Institute partner) and the force behind the weekly LOTRO Players News podcast, the series looks at the history of Middle-earth from an unusual angle. Using locations such as The Shire, Bree-land and Rivendell as anchors, the episodes relates the history of each place and the people who inhabited it. And those places and people are all inside LOTRO. The first episode of the series, “The Shire,” was recently released, and to celebrate the launch. Corey talked to Andang about how he came up with the series idea, who its target audience is, and what the experience shooting within LOTRO is like. Andang shared many observations that are universal across all forms of adaptation.

<p>In the final episode in this season, we will attempt to lay out a map for the whole show, season by season.</p>

<p>We will continue tackling big issues, including chronology, language style and use of narration.</p>

<p>We will discuss some of the critical issues that will lay the foundation of the adaptation, including character depiction, music and magic.</p>

<p>We will explain what we are doing and what we are not doing in this project. We will explain the general framework of our episodes and give a high level overview of what we will cover in Season 0. We will conclude the episode (as we will conclude all our episodes) with a question for listeners to discuss in the forum prior to a final decision at the start of the next episode.</p>

In the Lord of the Rings Online, Mythgard gathers at Ales and Tales to celebrate Gondorian New Year and the 7th Anniversary of the Lonely Mountain Band kinship. Corey's talk is on Frodo and Sauron at the Cracks of Doom: What Were They Thinking?

In the final episode of a long journey there and back again, Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert wind up the riddle run-through for Year 3. It's all over but the score tabulation, and we say farewell to Riddles in the Dark. But the road goes ever on, and our intrepid threesome are gearing up to launch a new podcast series--focused on adapting The Silmarillion to screen.

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Trish Lambert and Dave Kale discuss three of the six "leftover" riddles that needed more discussion. Final decision by listener vote.

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Trish Lambert and Dave Kale conduct a lightning round of the Year Three riddles and conundra to arrive at final answers. Those that stumped the group will be discussed in more detail in the next episode.

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Trish Lambert and Dave Kale share their thoughts about The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen offers his own reactions, observations and insights about the third installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit in this well-attended and highly interactive debrief.

In the second ending to the Riddles in the Dark series, The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert wrap up their speculations about the third Hobbit movie

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert go over more of the information that has been released prior to the launch of the third Hobbit movie

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert considered the extra footage included in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition. This was broadcast as the final segment in the Mythgard annual fund raising webathon in early November

The Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert are happy to finally be able to dig into material being released for the third Hobbit film

Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Trish Lambert and Dave Kale are relieved to finally have material to consider for the third Hobbit movie.

Just in time to save us from an episode of wandering speculations in the void created by Warner Brothers and Peter Jackson, the LEGO sets for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies have been released. A video version of this episode is available at http://youtu.be/x3jN3L4P4XI

Co-hosts and live listeners found it hard to like the promotional banner for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Fortunately, there are some good tangential conversations.

The analysis phase kicks off by pondering the trailer for the extended edition of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, among other things

The whole Riddles in the Dark gang races through all 15 riddles and conundra while Corey casts his votes for all to see. Submit your answers by midnight Eastern Time, Sunday September 21st, at http://www.mythgard.org/?p=7143

We wrap up the riddle game with the key question: Will there be a Bag End auction?

Corey and Laura share listener observations and present the final five conundra of the riddle game

Corey talks to Mythgard students who joined him at Mythcon 45 in August of 2014, as well as an impressive list of drop-by guests

Professor Olsen comments on the release of J.R.R. Tolkien's translation of Beowulf

What happens when the dust settles after the battle? Corey and Trish ask the tough questions.

Dave and guest listener Karen offer up a first hand view of the Comic-Con experience. Then Corey launches into a two-minute-per-second analysis of the teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Corey and Trish put the "fun" into "funeral" in this installment of Riddles in the Dark, while Dave is off running around San Diego Comic-Con.

Corey and Trish (standing in for Laura) share great listener observations about the Battle of Dol Guldur (RITD Episodes 3.09 and 3.10)

Who's gonna die? That's the big question in this episode of Riddles in the Dark, as The Tolkien Professor and fellow co-hosts ponder the imponderables of Peter Jackson's third Hobbit movie. Also, from about minute 18 to about minute 43, there is a general discussion about fantasy genre, specifically comparing Tolkien to George R.R. Martin and similar authors.

In response to a listener query, Corey walks through Tolkien's language pronunciation and how the names in The Hobbit films are supposed to be pronounced.