141. An Interview with Elijah Wood

Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in southern California.

15 Tammi 20250s

Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty.  This is the chapter where Bilbo finally comes into his own as a Burglar–he’s be...

7 Tammi 202540min

This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened! In 2013, Tolkien scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull ...

25 Joulu 20240s

We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago–particularly since it was attached to Philippa Boyen, screenwriter of the original trilogy. So, Michael and I went out this...

24 Joulu 20241h 9min

Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change–particularly Bilbo and Gollum’s interaction in chapter 5, “Riddles in the Dark”.  But what ...

17 Joulu 20240s

The 2nd half of “Riddles in the Dark” is the most rewritten part of The Hobbit in the 1951 rewrite!  And it’s where Bilbo takes a giant leap (so to speak) into the future of his adventure. In this epi...

10 Joulu 20240s

“Riddles in the Dark” is not only the most memorable event from all of Middle-earth — it’s also the turning point that ultimately led to The Lord of the Rings.  In this episode we look at: Tolkien’s ...

26 Marras 202451min

The goblins of Moria grab the dwarves (and Hobbit) who decided to camp out on their “front porch”, leading to some real terrifying moments! Does Gandalf use gunpowder? How Tolkien subcreates his worl...

19 Marras 202446min