This weekend TORn's IRC chat will conclude our latest round of movie-watching parties with The Return of the King Extended DVD. Join us in The Hall of Fire chatroom at 5:30 pm EST on Saturday when we dust off our copies of the film and pop it into the DVD player. After the usual confusion, at around 5.30pm EST we'll all press play on our individual DVD players and proceed to cheer and jeer (or discuss and argue, if you like!) the finer points of the film. [More]

For information on IRC chat and how to take part in the fun, visit our FAQ. Chat is family-friendly and easy in TORn's lively chat rooms. If you've never checked it out, this is a great chance to meet the regulars and have some fun. [Join the chat now!]

A BIG thank you to Silver Star for getting this transcript from the Miranda Otto Q&A at ORC this year. Take a look! [More]

It's movie award season again, and while we all know what the critics and industry groups think are the best films and performances of the year, Moviefone wants to hear the opinions of the real moviegoers who spend their $10 for a ticket. Voting is now open for the 11th Annual Moviefone Moviegoer Awards. Real movie fans on Moviefone.com selected the five nominees in each category below, and now millions of movie fans across the country will cast their votes for the winners, to be announced Feb. 28. Don't miss your chance to make your voice and heard and help your favorite film, actor or actress take home the award. [More]

HOLLYWOOD heart-throb Sean Bean could soon be playing a new role romancing the ladies of Weatherfield - after revealing a secret ambition to play a milkman in Coronation Street. Lord Of The Rings star Sean, 46, let slip his burning desire to tread Corrie's cobbles in a recent interview saying "I don't get to watch much TV, but I do like Coronation Street. "Sir Ian McKellen was on that, wasn't he? Maybe I could do that." [More]

SYDNEY ladies, get ready to swoon soon. Viggo Mortensen - the Hollywood hottie who had all the female Lord of the Rings fans wishing they could take over from Liv Tyler as his love interest - is in town next month. The guy with the unusual name arrives February 26, forcing a re-shuffle on the opening of his latest flick, A History of Violence. The film - in which a bloody self-defence incident involving a mild-mannered man comes back to haunt him - was to have opened nationally on February 23, but Mortensen's confirmed visit has pushed it back to a March release. [More]

Dominic Monaghan's Golden Globe winning show 'Lost' is on tonight at 9PM EST on ABC. TORN's chatroom now has a special 'Lost' screening room, login to #lost at 9PM and watch with fans from around the country! [ABC.com] [TORN Chat]

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 25) — Dominic Monaghan plays heroin-addicted rock star Charlie on ABC's hit series Lost. And, cozied up on the back patio of a Melrose coffee house, the actor reveals his own rock-star side. While on leave from the Oahu set, Monaghan, 29, is here to talk about tonight's hallucination-filled episode (9 ET/PT), which flashes back to Charlie's past and hurls him into an uncertain future. But he also talks about love (with co-star Evangeline Lilly), drugs (Charlie's habits and his own) and rock 'n' roll (well, mostly John Lennon). [More]

There's nothing like a tropical island filled with sun, sand, a doomsday hatch and some homicidal Others to bring two people closer together. The London Mirror claims "Lost" lovebirds Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly, who have been quietly dating for about a year, are engaged. According to the paper, the proposal took place last week in Hawaii, where the ABC smash is filmed, with the erstwhile Hobbit going the traditional route by getting down on one knee to slip a cornea-searing bauble on the up-and-coming starlet's finger (feel free to insert the inevitable "Lord of the Diamond Ring" joke here). [More]

Sue writes: Tickets for the Lord of the Rings Concert in Denver Colorado on May 19th, 20th and 21st are now available for purchase via ticketmaster.com. I already have mine and can hardly wait to reveille in sweet music by Howard Shore. The Colorado Adult choir and Children's choir will be performing as well. Still lots of good seats but will be going fast as time gets closer. Spread the word! [More]

Step into Alan Lee's Dartmoor cottage, and it's a bit like walking into Tolkien's imaginary world. Alan lives and breathes the work of JRR Tolkien. It's not just his job...it's his life. Everywhere, there are paintings, drawings, and sculptures from The Lord of the Rings. On the coffee table, there is even a Lord of the Rings mug, from which the world-renowned artist sips his coffee. Most of the pictures on display are Alan's own creations. [More]

Mary writes: I received this link through Time Out: Clearview Cinemas, in honor of the Academy Awards, will be presenting "Lord of the Rings" week February 24-March 2nd. Here's the link to the info & screenings times. [More]

Dr. Dimitra Fimi writes: The online Course on Tolkien hosted by Cardiff University last semester (Autumn 2005) will be run again during the Spring Semester (20 February - 30 April 2006). Both students and adult learners can enrol, and explore the rich background of myth, languages and contemporary ideas of Tolkien's creative writing. For more information visit the Course's website.

Like a lot of stylishly persuasive thrillers, Flightplan is more fun to watch than it is to think about. There's much to admire in this hermetically sealed mystery, in which a propulsion engineer and grieving widow (Jodie Foster) takes her 6-year-old daughter (and a coffin containing her husband's body) on a transatlantic flight aboard a brand-new jumbo jet she helped design, and faces a mother's worst nightmare when her daughter (Marlene Lawston) goes missing. But how can that be? Is she delusional? Are the flight crew, the captain (Sean Bean) and a seemingly sympathetic sky marshal (Peter Sarsgaard) playing out some kind of conspiratorial abduction? [More]

Sean Astin was a guest on 'The View' today (Jen 23rd). The short interview mentioned his role on 24, and the very "Hollywood" type meeting that lead to his being cast. Take a look! (25.6MB MOV) [More]

Afra writes: I found this funny number thanks to Empire Online and felt all Ringers should take the time to see it too. It's safe for children too. [More]

Ataahua sends this along. More than two years after the release of Return of the King, tourists are still flocking to New Zealand because of the LOTR films. [More]

Sean Astin made his "24" debut last week as CTU Director Lynn McGill, a by-the-numbers agent who doesn't mind ruffling a few feathers to get the job done. You can check him out every week on "24", Monday nights on FOX.

Rak writes: Lots and lots of ORC pictures of the Sean and Elijah event up at SANET. [More]

Tobias writes: Live chat with Thomas Robins (Deagol)! In cooperation with the FedCon on Wednesday the 25th. We ask you to post a short news on your Webseite. You can find more information on this webpage. [More]

Hot off his appearance this weekend at TORN's ORC Convention Sean Astin will be a guest on 'The View' tomorrow (January 23rd). Check your local listings.

Meanwhile Dominic Monaghan will be on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' on Monday, January 30th. He will be there to no doubt talk about his hit show 'Lost'.

Last week, Star Trek alum William Shatner auctioned one of his kidney stones for $25,000. Albeit for charity, the auction proves there are some really hard-core fans out there. No kidney stones were expected at the January 20–22 One Ring Celebration sci-fi convention at the Pasadena Center in California, although Lord of the Rings lovers are, eager to see actors from the film and attend seminars on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition, director Peter Jackson gave convention organizers a reel of bloopers from his epic film series, which will be shown to convention attendees. Gary Berman, co-CEO of Creation Entertainment, talked to U.S. News about sci-fi conventions and hard-core fandom. [More]

MrCere writes: PASADENA - Another chapter was placed in the book of legendary TORn parties last night as The One Ring Celebration took the ORC weekend to new heights. Thanks to spontanious participation from guests Sean Astin and Elijah Wood, an already terrific evening received an extra jolt of electricity. [More]

Silver Star sends along this LONG transcript from the Elijah Wood and Sean Astin talk at ORC this weekend! [More]

Own the shoes signed by Peter Jackson. The shoes are up for auction through Clothes Off Our Back. Mr. Jackson was nominated for a Golden Globe for Director-Motion Picture for KING KONG. Proceeds from the auction benefit Cure Autism Now, Half the Sky and UNICEF's work in Darfur. [More]

Carvin writes: Attached, I'm sending you a fourth and final track for you to review from the Voiceprint Records (UK) release "In Elven Lands." This is our setting of the "Song of Durin" that Gimli sings in Moria. As with much of the album, the harmonies are based on the ancient pythagorean principal of "Organum" which predates chordal harmonies by at least two thousand years. The rhythm is derived from Tolkien's lyrics. Also, here is a .jpg of a piece of the concept art for the upcoming Voiceprint Records (UK) Release, "In Elven Lands." A flat (2D) version of the art ended up on the album. These illuminated pages are lyrics from the songs "Tir Im" and "Verses to Elbereth Gilthoniel." The "Elbereth" page features an illustration of the "Sicle of the Valar" while the "Tir Im" page shows the Misty Mountains with Caradhras in the middle. [More]