Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy – JenEric Movie Review

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How This Works – Read Other Reviews

Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2001-2003 films Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy.

*Disclaimer* I have watched these films as a marathon every year since 2007. They’re basically part of my holiday ritual and I’m completely not objective.

Story

The story is an interpretation of one of the greatest influences on modern Western fantasy. It’s hard to judge the story critically when it is so foundational.

That being said, I think there’s some seriously problematic connotations about people of colour and women.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The movies are filled with fantastic characters. As much as I hate Frodo and the archetypal everyman character, the movies made each character unique and memorable.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Infinitely quotable to the nerds among us. The movie doesn’t deviate too much from the wonderful dialogue of the books and when it does, improves it.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

For a nearly 20 year old movie the visuals hold up spectacularly (we watched the 4K version and it was worth it.) New Zealand is gorgeous, the practical effects hold up better than some more recent movies, and the CGI looks pretty good. There are some lighting issues and world interaction issues with the CGI.

The music… holy shit the music. The layering and themes… gah, it’s so beautiful.

Score: 1

Fun

The 12 hours were a little hard on the kids, but the adults were as enthralled as ever. I’m constantly amazed at how the movie keeps people’s attention and sparks conversation.

Score: 1

Overall

These movies are a staple of our holiday season; I’ve probably seen them two dozen times since they released and I still find new things every year. Upgrading to the 4K was more than worth it for the colour and sound correction that was done.

They are some of my favourite movies and I admit that I am nowhere near objective.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

The Shire

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Do you want to visit The Shire, but New Zealand is too far for you to travel? Do you love the idea of travelling to Ireland, and love Lord of the Rings? (I fall into these categories)

Then you’re going to want to visit Killarney in the Kingdom of Kerry, and stay (or simply eat) at The Shire.

The Shire. Image from theshirekillarney.com

They have minimal accommodations (5 doubles, 1 twin, a 4-bed dorm, and an 8-bed dorm), a bar, and a café.

You can contact Jennifer Desmarais through Orleans Travel. jennifer.desmarais@orleanstravel.ca

Throwback Tuesday – The Last Horcrux (2014-02-05)

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Hello My Imaginary Friends,

I’m frightfully busy at the moment and so you get to revisit one of my favourite short stories. Also some of the only Fan Fiction I’ve written. I don’t like writing Fan Fiction because I worry that I don’t get the voice of the characters or the feel of the world.

This story based off a comic. Here we go.

Click to read the rest of this hilarious comic

In the last days before the battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort decided that he must survive. To this end he created a last Horcrux, one that no one could ever find. Unlike his others, he used and ordinary grain of sand.

This last Horcrux was tossed into the deepest ocean. On its way into the deepest parts of the ocean, a deep water fish mistook it for food and chased it down. It swallowed the grain of sand and proceeded to swim into a magical tear between worlds.

The tear led into a lake. Being a deep water fish, the poor fish was completely blinded by the light in this little lake. It was quickly caught by a fisherman, who gutted it and brought it home. The fish’s guts however were left on the beach to decompose.

There the grain stayed for a few years until a jewellers apprentice came looking for sand to temper jewellery. The sand on this beach was perfect. He collected a large sack of sand including the grain which was a Horcrux.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Thanks for reading!

Éric

New Coffee Flavours for Ottawa Comiccon

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Hello Coffee Lovers,

We have three new flavours that will be available at Ottawa Comiccon.

  • Beanpool (A mixed roast with Canadian maple and and banana flavouring)
  • Minty Mountain (A medium roast with peppermint flavouring)
  • The Waking Dead (A dark roast without flavouring)

They will exclusively be available at Ottawa Comiccon the 11-13 of May. After that they will be available on our store.

  • A mixed roast with Canadian maple and banana flavouring
  • A medium roast with peppermint flavouring
  • A dark roast without flavouring

Stay Caffeinated,

Éric

Oamaru

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Oamaru is a steampunk city in New Zealand’s South Island. I would love to visit this city. Look how awesome it is!

While there, you should definitely check out Steampunk HQ!

This would be a great addition to a Lord of the Rings tour.

If you are interested in booking a trip to New Zealand. You can contact Jennifer Desmarais through Orleans Travel. jennifer.desmarais@orleanstravel.ca

John Rhys-Davies

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John Rhys-Davies was warm and talkative with everyone in line. A real class act!

We had planned on asking him something, and promptly forgot when he noticed Jen was pregnant. He asked if it was our first, and said we were in for a treat. He said his only regret was not having more children. It was hard to concentrate, we were so mesmerized by his voice.

He loved the TARDIS and was impressed that Jen had designed the pattern herself. He told us about one of his first roles in theatre. The director saw him reading a book between rehersals, and got really huffy. Apparently this director thought reading was overly intellectual, and did not like intellectuals. (*eyeroll*) Mr. Rhys-Davies asked one of the actresses to teach him how to crochet, and during that run, he crocheted his son’s first baby blanket!

It was so fantastic to talk with this amazing man!

Johnathon Rhys-Daviessmall

News in Montreal

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Montreal (well, an hour outside of Montreal) has a Hobbit House that you can stay at. I read this news last week and promptly got so excited that I almost fell off my chair. (Exaggeration. I sit on a couch.)

House House. Image from entrecimesetracines.com
House House. Image from entrecimesetracines.com

This cute little place means that you can visit Middle-Earth without travelling to New Zealand! However, it is already booked solid until the new year. (Who is surprised? Not me!)

If you are interested in booking this cute little hotel for a short trip within Canada. You can contact Jennifer Desmarais through Orleans Travel. jennifer.desmarais@orleanstravel.ca