Taking fanfic to a whole new level!

I'm amazed and impressed to learn that an Englishwoman, Kate Madison, has invested her life savings of £8,000 (about US $12,500), raised a further £17,000 (about US $26,600), and made a 70-minute movie in tribute to Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy of films. What's more, even on so minuscule a budget, it looks rather good!




The movie's Web site gives its plot (carefully leaving out all the important details) as follows:

A scattered people, the descendents of storied sea kings of the ancient West, struggle to survive in a lonely wilderness as a dark force relentlessly bends its will toward their destruction. Yet amidst these valiant, desperate people, hope remains. A royal house endures unbroken from father to son.




This hour long original drama is set in the time before the War of the Ring and tells the story of the Dúnedain, the Rangers of the North, before the return of the King. Inspired by only a couple of paragraphs written by Tolkien in the appendices of the Lord of the Rings we follow Arathorn and Gilraen, the parents of Aragorn, from their first meeting through a turbulent time in their people's history.

There's a lot more information at the Web site. Recommended reading.




Here's the trailer for the movie:

And, if you liked that, here's the whole thing, all 70+ minutes. I recommend watching it in full-screen mode.

Great stuff! Congratulations to Ms. Madison and all involved. I hope Peter Jackson takes note, and perhaps offers you all some part in his upcoming adaptation of Tolkein's The Hobbit. You deserve it!

Peter