[jrherreid]

We just recently had a talk out here by Joseph Pearce, author of two books on Tolkien (Tolkien: Man and Myth and Tolkien: A Celebration). During the question and answer section someone asked about the origin of names in LOTR. Mr. Pearce noted that Castel Gondolfo (the summer residence of the Pope) in Italy had been known as Castel Gandalfo in the 1800's and before. The name, of course, would mean "Gandalf's Castle." Nifty, I thought.

And, by the way, Pearce was also involved in a mock trial of Peter Jackson held at Ave Maria University. Jackson was being tried, in absence, for "The Desecration of the Lord of the Rings". Pearce served as defense lawyer, since he loved the movie. He said his key moment in the trial was while cross-examining a fellow who said that the movie was a "gross misrepresentation of Tolkien's work". Pearce asked the man one question. "How many times have you seen the movie?" "Six." The defense rested, and the jury ruled in Jackson's favor.

[BibChr]

...his key moment in the trial was while cross-examining a fellow who said that the movie was a "gross misrepresentation of Tolkien's work". Pearce asked the man one question. "How many times have you seen the movie?" "Six." The defense rested, and the jury ruled in Jackson's favor.

The burst of laughter this provoked startled my coworkers!

Dan