Why Lord Of The Rings Endures As A Touchstone Of Pop Culture

“I think every moment is my favorite. There’s not a place I don’t love,” said fan Sydney Driscoll-Davies.
Ahead of the show’s release, fans flocked to Toronto’s Fan Expo, not to see some of the upcoming new faces from the streaming series, but to say hello to the old ones. The event hosted the four actors who played the hobbits in the trilogy of films released between 2001 and 2003: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. The actors were inundated by fans hoping to sign their books or Lord of the Rings sets. But Driscoll-Davies and her father, Greg Davies, took it a step further. The pair created an elaborate costume of themselves as hobbits Merry and Pippin being carried by orcs, the Dark Lord’s soldiers. Sydney Driscoll-Davies, right, and her father, Greg Davies, came to Fan Expo Canada this year dressed as hobbits Merry and Pippen being transported by orcs, a scene made famous in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Philip Drost/CBC) “A lot of leather jackets were sacrificed for this suit. It’s everything. Wood, metal, a lot of foam, Styrofoam, glue, a lot of paint, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears,” Davis said. For them, The Lord of the Rings was a family affair for almost everyone, although Driscoll-Davies says her mother “doesn’t get it”. Growing up, Davies would tell his two daughters the story of Tolkien’s Hobbit at bedtime, all from memory. He says part of what makes The Lord of the Rings iconic is that the story isn’t just about great swordsmen and archers. “It’s a very good adventure story. But the heroes are the little people. The heroes are not the fighters or the warriors. These little creatures are doing their best. And that’s what makes all the difference in the world. And it’s really impressive,” he said. “A lot of us aren’t warrior princes, right? We’re ordinary people, and it’s escapist and it’s inspiring. It’s just a great message.”
For fan and aspiring filmmaker Lily Radford, The Lord of the Rings is about friendship. When he watches the movies, extended version of course, he can’t help but notice the interaction between the characters. “There’s something about the value of friendship, the camaraderie of the ring, just a group of people going through life, no matter how crazy or funny or wild it is,” he said. “The adventure part is fantastic. I think that’s often what grabs people. What keeps them there, I think, is the values ​​that are… presented through these characters of friendship and what that’s really like.”

Influential work

Thalia Godbout attended the Fan Expo, reprising a role she first took on as a young child. When Godbout was three, she dressed up as Frodo Baggins for Halloween, with her father as the wizard Gandalf. “My dad was a big Lord of the Rings fan and he would lend me his books and I would read them,” she said. “I would watch it with him every year.” Many years later, in a Frodo outfit that was a bit more elaborate, Godbout again holds the one ring to rule them all. Friends Aria Guthrie, left, and Thalia Godbout came to this year’s Fan Expo dressed as hobbit friends Sam and Frodo. The fur slides representing hairy hobbit legs didn’t make the picture. (Philip Drost/CBC) “The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien have been very influential in fantasy media and fiction now, even after all these years,” Godbutt said. The films certainly left their mark on the film industry. The trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars, and its finale, The Return of the King, won Best Picture in 2004.
And the books influenced the genre of fantasy as we know it, according to Anna Smol, who studies Tolkien’s works and is a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. “A lot of fantasy stories followed after The Lord of the Rings,” Smol said. Anna Smol has researched the unpublished manuscripts of author JRR Tolkien at the Weston Library at the University of Oxford in the UK (Submitted by Anna Smol) “It is such an expansive world that [Tolkien] built … there is room for everyone and all kinds of different interests. And I think that’s one of the things that can draw people. And it’s one of the things that interests scholars, because there’s so much you can work on.”

From film companionship to real friendship

Actor Dominic Monaghan can attest to this aspect of the films. Monaghan was part of this fellowship, through the role of the hobbit Merry Brandybuck. He starred alongside Billy Boyd, who played Peregrin Took, better known as Pippin. As the two played the roles of best friends, the lines between acting and reality blurred. Now the pair are so close, they even have a podcast together called The Friendship Onion, which aims to “peel back the layers of their friendship, both on and off screen.” Monaghan said the films have been able to endure because they tell a classic story in a powerful way. “Tolkien said there are only so many stories you can actually tell. And this story, The Lord of the Rings, is just the classic hero’s journey,” Monaghan said. “You have an underrated protagonist who can’t accomplish a mission without surrounding himself with aspects of his personality that he doesn’t have: bravery, speed, quickness, guile, intelligence, a sense of humor. And they’re fighting a common enemy.” Actor Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry in the trilogy, signs autographs at the Fan Expo. He says that the Lord of the Rings story tells the classic story of the hero’s journey in a complete way. (Philip Drost/CBC) Monaghan says that while The Lord of the Rings is best in class, it’s not a new kind of story. “This story has been going on for as long as we’ve all been telling stories. There are stories like this in the Bible, there are stories like this in every culture you can think of,” he said.
“Tolkien, being a master storyteller and a master of language, was able to create a very rich world that is not our world. And we want to know these stories. It’s simple at its core.” Time will tell if The Rings of Power captures the same essence, but fans say they’re cautiously optimistic and ready for the new adventure.

title: “Why Lord Of The Rings Endures As A Touchstone Of Pop Culture Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “William Decoteau”

“I think every moment is my favorite. There’s not a place I don’t love,” said fan Sydney Driscoll-Davies.
Ahead of the show’s release, fans flocked to Toronto’s Fan Expo, not to see some of the upcoming new faces from the streaming series, but to say hello to the old ones. The event hosted the four actors who played the hobbits in the trilogy of films released between 2001 and 2003: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. The actors were inundated by fans hoping to sign their books or Lord of the Rings sets. But Driscoll-Davies and her father, Greg Davies, took it a step further. The pair created an elaborate costume of themselves as hobbits Merry and Pippin being carried by orcs, the Dark Lord’s soldiers. Sydney Driscoll-Davies, right, and her father, Greg Davies, came to Fan Expo Canada this year dressed as hobbits Merry and Pippen being transported by orcs, a scene made famous in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Philip Drost/CBC) “A lot of leather jackets were sacrificed for this suit. It’s everything. Wood, metal, a lot of foam, Styrofoam, glue, a lot of paint, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears,” Davis said. For them, The Lord of the Rings was a family affair for almost everyone, although Driscoll-Davies says her mother “doesn’t get it”. Growing up, Davies would tell his two daughters the story of Tolkien’s Hobbit at bedtime, all from memory. He says part of what makes The Lord of the Rings iconic is that the story isn’t just about great swordsmen and archers. “It’s a very good adventure story. But the heroes are the little people. The heroes are not the fighters or the warriors. These little creatures are doing their best. And that’s what makes all the difference in the world. And it’s really impressive,” he said. “A lot of us aren’t warrior princes, right? We’re ordinary people, and it’s escapist and it’s inspiring. It’s just a great message.”
For fan and aspiring filmmaker Lily Radford, The Lord of the Rings is about friendship. When he watches the movies, extended version of course, he can’t help but notice the interaction between the characters. “There’s something about the value of friendship, the camaraderie of the ring, just a group of people going through life, no matter how crazy or funny or wild it is,” he said. “The adventure part is fantastic. I think that’s often what grabs people. What keeps them there, I think, is the values ​​that are… presented through these characters of friendship and what that’s really like.”

Influential work

Thalia Godbout attended the Fan Expo, reprising a role she first took on as a young child. When Godbout was three, she dressed up as Frodo Baggins for Halloween, with her father as the wizard Gandalf. “My dad was a big Lord of the Rings fan and he would lend me his books and I would read them,” she said. “I would watch it with him every year.” Many years later, in a Frodo outfit that was a bit more elaborate, Godbout again holds the one ring to rule them all. Friends Aria Guthrie, left, and Thalia Godbout came to this year’s Fan Expo dressed as hobbit friends Sam and Frodo. The fur slides representing hairy hobbit legs didn’t make the picture. (Philip Drost/CBC) “The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien have been very influential in fantasy media and fiction now, even after all these years,” Godbutt said. The films certainly left their mark on the film industry. The trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars, and its finale, The Return of the King, won Best Picture in 2004.
And the books influenced the genre of fantasy as we know it, according to Anna Smol, who studies Tolkien’s works and is a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. “A lot of fantasy stories followed after The Lord of the Rings,” Smol said. Anna Smol has researched the unpublished manuscripts of author JRR Tolkien at the Weston Library at the University of Oxford in the UK (Submitted by Anna Smol) “It is such an expansive world that [Tolkien] built … there is room for everyone and all kinds of different interests. And I think that’s one of the things that can draw people. And it’s one of the things that interests scholars, because there’s so much you can work on.”

From film companionship to real friendship

Actor Dominic Monaghan can attest to this aspect of the films. Monaghan was part of this fellowship, through the role of the hobbit Merry Brandybuck. He starred alongside Billy Boyd, who played Peregrin Took, better known as Pippin. As the two played the roles of best friends, the lines between acting and reality blurred. Now the pair are so close, they even have a podcast together called The Friendship Onion, which aims to “peel back the layers of their friendship, both on and off screen.” Monaghan said the films have been able to endure because they tell a classic story in a powerful way. “Tolkien said there are only so many stories you can actually tell. And this story, The Lord of the Rings, is just the classic hero’s journey,” Monaghan said. “You have an underrated protagonist who can’t accomplish a mission without surrounding himself with aspects of his personality that he doesn’t have: bravery, speed, quickness, guile, intelligence, a sense of humor. And they’re fighting a common enemy.” Actor Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry in the trilogy, signs autographs at the Fan Expo. He says that the Lord of the Rings story tells the classic story of the hero’s journey in a complete way. (Philip Drost/CBC) Monaghan says that while The Lord of the Rings is best in class, it’s not a new kind of story. “This story has been going on for as long as we’ve all been telling stories. There are stories like this in the Bible, there are stories like this in every culture you can think of,” he said.
“Tolkien, being a master storyteller and a master of language, was able to create a very rich world that is not our world. And we want to know these stories. It’s simple at its core.” Time will tell if The Rings of Power captures the same essence, but fans say they’re cautiously optimistic and ready for the new adventure.

title: “Why Lord Of The Rings Endures As A Touchstone Of Pop Culture Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Cristine Rochin”

“I think every moment is my favorite. There’s not a place I don’t love,” said fan Sydney Driscoll-Davies.
Ahead of the show’s release, fans flocked to Toronto’s Fan Expo, not to see some of the upcoming new faces from the streaming series, but to say hello to the old ones. The event hosted the four actors who played the hobbits in the trilogy of films released between 2001 and 2003: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. The actors were inundated by fans hoping to sign their books or Lord of the Rings sets. But Driscoll-Davies and her father, Greg Davies, took it a step further. The pair created an elaborate costume of themselves as hobbits Merry and Pippin being carried by orcs, the Dark Lord’s soldiers. Sydney Driscoll-Davies, right, and her father, Greg Davies, came to Fan Expo Canada this year dressed as hobbits Merry and Pippen being transported by orcs, a scene made famous in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Philip Drost/CBC) “A lot of leather jackets were sacrificed for this suit. It’s everything. Wood, metal, a lot of foam, Styrofoam, glue, a lot of paint, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears,” Davis said. For them, The Lord of the Rings was a family affair for almost everyone, although Driscoll-Davies says her mother “doesn’t get it”. Growing up, Davies would tell his two daughters the story of Tolkien’s Hobbit at bedtime, all from memory. He says part of what makes The Lord of the Rings iconic is that the story isn’t just about great swordsmen and archers. “It’s a very good adventure story. But the heroes are the little people. The heroes are not the fighters or the warriors. These little creatures are doing their best. And that’s what makes all the difference in the world. And it’s really impressive,” he said. “A lot of us aren’t warrior princes, right? We’re ordinary people, and it’s escapist and it’s inspiring. It’s just a great message.”
For fan and aspiring filmmaker Lily Radford, The Lord of the Rings is about friendship. When he watches the movies, extended version of course, he can’t help but notice the interaction between the characters. “There’s something about the value of friendship, the camaraderie of the ring, just a group of people going through life, no matter how crazy or funny or wild it is,” he said. “The adventure part is fantastic. I think that’s often what grabs people. What keeps them there, I think, is the values ​​that are… presented through these characters of friendship and what that’s really like.”

Influential work

Thalia Godbout attended the Fan Expo, reprising a role she first took on as a young child. When Godbout was three, she dressed up as Frodo Baggins for Halloween, with her father as the wizard Gandalf. “My dad was a big Lord of the Rings fan and he would lend me his books and I would read them,” she said. “I would watch it with him every year.” Many years later, in a Frodo outfit that was a bit more elaborate, Godbout again holds the one ring to rule them all. Friends Aria Guthrie, left, and Thalia Godbout came to this year’s Fan Expo dressed as hobbit friends Sam and Frodo. The fur slides representing hairy hobbit legs didn’t make the picture. (Philip Drost/CBC) “The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien have been very influential in fantasy media and fiction now, even after all these years,” Godbutt said. The films certainly left their mark on the film industry. The trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars, and its finale, The Return of the King, won Best Picture in 2004.
And the books influenced the genre of fantasy as we know it, according to Anna Smol, who studies Tolkien’s works and is a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. “A lot of fantasy stories followed after The Lord of the Rings,” Smol said. Anna Smol has researched the unpublished manuscripts of author JRR Tolkien at the Weston Library at the University of Oxford in the UK (Submitted by Anna Smol) “It is such an expansive world that [Tolkien] built … there is room for everyone and all kinds of different interests. And I think that’s one of the things that can draw people. And it’s one of the things that interests scholars, because there’s so much you can work on.”

From film companionship to real friendship

Actor Dominic Monaghan can attest to this aspect of the films. Monaghan was part of this fellowship, through the role of the hobbit Merry Brandybuck. He starred alongside Billy Boyd, who played Peregrin Took, better known as Pippin. As the two played the roles of best friends, the lines between acting and reality blurred. Now the pair are so close, they even have a podcast together called The Friendship Onion, which aims to “peel back the layers of their friendship, both on and off screen.” Monaghan said the films have been able to endure because they tell a classic story in a powerful way. “Tolkien said there are only so many stories you can actually tell. And this story, The Lord of the Rings, is just the classic hero’s journey,” Monaghan said. “You have an underrated protagonist who can’t accomplish a mission without surrounding himself with aspects of his personality that he doesn’t have: bravery, speed, quickness, guile, intelligence, a sense of humor. And they’re fighting a common enemy.” Actor Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry in the trilogy, signs autographs at the Fan Expo. He says that the Lord of the Rings story tells the classic story of the hero’s journey in a complete way. (Philip Drost/CBC) Monaghan says that while The Lord of the Rings is best in class, it’s not a new kind of story. “This story has been going on for as long as we’ve all been telling stories. There are stories like this in the Bible, there are stories like this in every culture you can think of,” he said.
“Tolkien, being a master storyteller and a master of language, was able to create a very rich world that is not our world. And we want to know these stories. It’s simple at its core.” Time will tell if The Rings of Power captures the same essence, but fans say they’re cautiously optimistic and ready for the new adventure.

title: “Why Lord Of The Rings Endures As A Touchstone Of Pop Culture Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-15” author: “Eboni Wofford”

“I think every moment is my favorite. There’s not a place I don’t love,” said fan Sydney Driscoll-Davies.
Ahead of the show’s release, fans flocked to Toronto’s Fan Expo, not to see some of the upcoming new faces from the streaming series, but to say hello to the old ones. The event hosted the four actors who played the hobbits in the trilogy of films released between 2001 and 2003: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. The actors were inundated by fans hoping to sign their books or Lord of the Rings sets. But Driscoll-Davies and her father, Greg Davies, took it a step further. The pair created an elaborate costume of themselves as hobbits Merry and Pippin being carried by orcs, the Dark Lord’s soldiers. Sydney Driscoll-Davies, right, and her father, Greg Davies, came to Fan Expo Canada this year dressed as hobbits Merry and Pippen being transported by orcs, a scene made famous in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Philip Drost/CBC) “A lot of leather jackets were sacrificed for this suit. It’s everything. Wood, metal, a lot of foam, Styrofoam, glue, a lot of paint, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears,” Davis said. For them, The Lord of the Rings was a family affair for almost everyone, although Driscoll-Davies says her mother “doesn’t get it”. Growing up, Davies would tell his two daughters the story of Tolkien’s Hobbit at bedtime, all from memory. He says part of what makes The Lord of the Rings iconic is that the story isn’t just about great swordsmen and archers. “It’s a very good adventure story. But the heroes are the little people. The heroes are not the fighters or the warriors. These little creatures are doing their best. And that’s what makes all the difference in the world. And it’s really impressive,” he said. “A lot of us aren’t warrior princes, right? We’re ordinary people, and it’s escapist and it’s inspiring. It’s just a great message.”
For fan and aspiring filmmaker Lily Radford, The Lord of the Rings is about friendship. When he watches the movies, extended version of course, he can’t help but notice the interaction between the characters. “There’s something about the value of friendship, the camaraderie of the ring, just a group of people going through life, no matter how crazy or funny or wild it is,” he said. “The adventure part is fantastic. I think that’s often what grabs people. What keeps them there, I think, is the values ​​that are… presented through these characters of friendship and what that’s really like.”

Influential work

Thalia Godbout attended the Fan Expo, reprising a role she first took on as a young child. When Godbout was three, she dressed up as Frodo Baggins for Halloween, with her father as the wizard Gandalf. “My dad was a big Lord of the Rings fan and he would lend me his books and I would read them,” she said. “I would watch it with him every year.” Many years later, in a Frodo outfit that was a bit more elaborate, Godbout again holds the one ring to rule them all. Friends Aria Guthrie, left, and Thalia Godbout came to this year’s Fan Expo dressed as hobbit friends Sam and Frodo. The fur slides representing hairy hobbit legs didn’t make the picture. (Philip Drost/CBC) “The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien have been very influential in fantasy media and fiction now, even after all these years,” Godbutt said. The films certainly left their mark on the film industry. The trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars, and its finale, The Return of the King, won Best Picture in 2004.
And the books influenced the genre of fantasy as we know it, according to Anna Smol, who studies Tolkien’s works and is a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. “A lot of fantasy stories followed after The Lord of the Rings,” Smol said. Anna Smol has researched the unpublished manuscripts of author JRR Tolkien at the Weston Library at the University of Oxford in the UK (Submitted by Anna Smol) “It is such an expansive world that [Tolkien] built … there is room for everyone and all kinds of different interests. And I think that’s one of the things that can draw people. And it’s one of the things that interests scholars, because there’s so much you can work on.”

From film companionship to real friendship

Actor Dominic Monaghan can attest to this aspect of the films. Monaghan was part of this fellowship, through the role of the hobbit Merry Brandybuck. He starred alongside Billy Boyd, who played Peregrin Took, better known as Pippin. As the two played the roles of best friends, the lines between acting and reality blurred. Now the pair are so close, they even have a podcast together called The Friendship Onion, which aims to “peel back the layers of their friendship, both on and off screen.” Monaghan said the films have been able to endure because they tell a classic story in a powerful way. “Tolkien said there are only so many stories you can actually tell. And this story, The Lord of the Rings, is just the classic hero’s journey,” Monaghan said. “You have an underrated protagonist who can’t accomplish a mission without surrounding himself with aspects of his personality that he doesn’t have: bravery, speed, quickness, guile, intelligence, a sense of humor. And they’re fighting a common enemy.” Actor Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry in the trilogy, signs autographs at the Fan Expo. He says that the Lord of the Rings story tells the classic story of the hero’s journey in a complete way. (Philip Drost/CBC) Monaghan says that while The Lord of the Rings is best in class, it’s not a new kind of story. “This story has been going on for as long as we’ve all been telling stories. There are stories like this in the Bible, there are stories like this in every culture you can think of,” he said.
“Tolkien, being a master storyteller and a master of language, was able to create a very rich world that is not our world. And we want to know these stories. It’s simple at its core.” Time will tell if The Rings of Power captures the same essence, but fans say they’re cautiously optimistic and ready for the new adventure.