Welcome to “Watch Party: Lord of the Rings”! If you‘ve just wandered in, don‘t worry, you‘re not lost! Join Jen and Michael as they delve too greedily and too deep into Middle Earth in anticipation of the upcoming Lord of the Rings series on Amazon Prime. Stay up to date on casting announcements and set leaks, speculate about the plot, all while rekindling your love of all things Tolkien. If you want to join the conversation, please email us at WatchPartyLOTR@gmail.com. We‘d love to hear from you! Hopefully Barliman Butterbur remembers to give us the message.
Episodes
Saturday Jun 05, 2021
Saturday Jun 05, 2021
“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”
We asked, and the people have spoken. Today on Watch Party, we’re taking a break from The Mariner’s Wife to do a deep dive into one of the main characters we will undoubtedly see in #LOTRonPrime - Celebrimbor! Often given a bad rap due to his role making the Rings of Power, we explain that he was just trying to preserve the good old days and Make Middle-Earth Great Again! We are also excited to introduce a couple of new segments: the "One Breath Summary," where we risk our lives trying to summarize Tolkien in one breath, and "What Kids Are Tolkien About," where we feature the always adorable and sometimes surprisingly wise musings small children have about Tolkien. As you can tell, we're having fun with this one.
If you'd like to weigh in on our casting speculation or anything else under the sun, you can get in touch here:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
Fellowship of Fans YouTube Page
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Special Thanks to Anuj Agarwal and Feedspot for the shoutout! We are one of the top 15 #LOTR podcasts to listen to in 2021.
Saturday May 22, 2021
Saturday May 22, 2021
“'Then let Spring and summer now begin!’ He said. 'And let not winter return,' said Erendis.”
Today on Watch Party we talk about the show's newest director, and the fattest budget in the history of television. Then, back to Aldarian and Erendis, where our star crossed lovers finally tie the knot. But, it may not be the happily ever after we were hoping for.
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
Fellowship of Fans YouTube Page
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Immersed by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3900-immersed
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Moorland by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4079-moorland
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3770-folk-round
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
“Such gifts as come from the Valar, and through them from The One, are to be loved for themselves now, and in all nows. They are not given for barter, for more or for better. The Edain remain mortal men, Aldarion, great though they may be. We cannot dwell in the time that is to come, lest we lose our now for a phantom of our own design.”
On today’s pod, we discuss a possible timeline for the Amazon show premier thanks to reporting from Fellowship of Fans, and exciting news about one of our leading ladies. We even weigh in on some modern day Royal drama! Then it's all aboard the Palarran as we navigate the rough waters of Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner’s Wife, from the Unfinished Tales. Will our lovers sink or swim? Find out now on Watch Party: LoTR on Prime.
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
Fellowship of Fans YouTube Page
Morfydd Clarke BAFTA nomination
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Friday Apr 09, 2021
"Far above the Ephel Dúath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
Today on Watch Party, we talk about whether Orlando Bloom is actually Legolas in real life, a new director, new casting news that suggests we may get wizards after all, and bad news for Crowe fans. Then, we continue our discussion of Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner’s Wife, from the Unfinished Tales. This love story is just heating up, so grab your copy of the book and get ready for stormy skies and rough winds on the high sea!
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
New Director Che Yip confirmed by Lord of the Rings on Prime Twitter
Chance Ruby Casting - Fellowship of The Fans YouTube
Russel Crowe cast in Thor: Love and Thunder
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Thursday Mar 25, 2021
Thursday Mar 25, 2021
Happy Tolkien Reading Day! Today is March 25th, the day that the one ring was destroyed, Barad-dur fell, and Sauron was defeated. We want to commemorate this wonderful holiday by reading a couple of our favorite passages of hope and courage. Whatever is happening in your life during these difficult times, try to take a moment to read a few lines from your favorite Tolkien text and find solace in the hope and courage you find there. Remember, "Aure entuluva! Day shall come again!"
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Book IV, Chapter 8
The Children of Hurin, Chapter 2
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
“We also are daughters of the great, and we have wills and courage of our own. Therefore do not bend, Ancalime. Once bend a little , and they will bend you further until you are bowed down. Sink your roots into the rock, and face the wind, though it blow away all your leaves.”
On today’s pod, we've got warlords, a new director, rumblings about production problems, and some tasty tasty Crowe. And then we start our long journey into the only detailed narrative Tolkien ever wrote (though never finished) about the Second Age: Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife. We will be taking our time with this beautiful and complex narrative, where Tolkien explores themes of passion, obsession, pride, and the complexity of marital relations. Will this story be featured in an early season of the Amazon Prime series?
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
Fellowship of the Fans YouTube Page
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Monday Mar 15, 2021
“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”
On today’s pod we’re going to bring you up to speed on the latest rumors about the show and Amazon’s marketing efforts, some drama in the Tolkien fandom, and some rampant speculation about which female directors we think might come on board for LOTRonPrime. And then our main topic: will Amazon introduce the enigmatic and mysterious Blue Wizards in the show?! It's a juicy one, so grab some popcorn and a flagon of Beorn's honey mead!
Want to join the watch party with a question, comment, theory, Tolkien pun, or anything under the sun? Contact us:
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
REFERENCES:
Fellowship of the Fans YouTube Page
Tolkien Society seminar on 3-4 July 2021, on the theme of "#Tolkien and Diversity"
CREDITS
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Friday Feb 26, 2021
"You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”
This week on Watch Party, we wrap up our scene by scene review of the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated adaptation of The Hobbit. We pick things back up when Bilbo and the Dwarves reunite after escaping the Goblin tunnels (with Bilbo finding a certain golden ring along the way). From the depths of Mirkwood to Smaug's golden litter box (meeow) in the Lonely Mountain, we unpack and dissect every aspect of the film, and give you our hottest takes along the way!
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
"There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Today is our first true watch party! We start with the Rankin/Bass 1977 animated adaption of The Hobbit, a real gem featuring Tolkien's original songs set to a folksy soundtrack, psychedelic effects, and unusual animation and design choices. In this episode, we talk through the the first half of the film, scene by scene, ending with Riddles in the Dark. The Rankin/Bass adaptation is sometimes funny, sometimes silly, and sometimes just right, but no matter your take it makes one thing clear: The Hobbit is The Greatest Adventure!
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/
Logo by Aubreigh Brunschwig.
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Friday Feb 05, 2021
"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Justice shall be done upon him. For wrongfully he has made war upon Gondor and wrested its lands. Therefore the King of Gondor demands that he should atone for his evils, and depart then for ever.”
Today we continue our conversation about our hopes and dreams for Amazon's new Lord of the Rings series, and the characters we most hope to see. We already know about a certain golden-haired elf Queen - will we also get to see our favorite elf-lord twinning with the King of Numenor? Maybe some angry trees throwin' bows with Sauron? Will Amazon respect Tolkien's love of language? We wants it, we needs it, my precious! All this, and more on episode 2 of Watch Party: Lord of the Rings on Prime!
- Email: watchpartylotr@gmail.com
- Twitter: @LOTRParty ; https://twitter.com/LotrParty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchpartyLoTR
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchpartylotronprime/
Intro and Outro Music: Sunday For Larks, written by Matthew Rolland and performed by Run Boy Run. https://www.runboyrunband.com/