Ramble on to Rivendell

Coming soon to a theatre probably not near me: Ringers: Lord of the Fans. A feature-length documentary which explores the history of Tolkienmania and how Lord of the Rings has influenced western pop culture. A study of fandom with interviews from Peter Jackson and many actors from his films. Narrated by lostaway hobbit Dominic Monaghan who reportedly is “engaging as any visual stimulus on the screen.” Having read the trilogy in the early 1980s, the fan story that I remember most is from an author (whose name I’ve misplaced) who wrote about what it was like when The Two Towers was released. He or she stayed up all night reading the book which ends with one of the greatest cliffhangers in literature. The Return of the King wasn’t released until a year later. A very long year later. Being into music, Tolkien was a part of my life long before I knew it. His works heavily influenced the progressive rock of the 1970s, especially the bands Rush and Led Zeppelin. It’s funny to think back to when I was a kid, believing Rivendell was just some place Neil Peart had made up to write a song about. Now if I could just find my "Frodo Lives!" t-shirt.