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Artistic, musical, creative, and entertaining topics in Journal's workplace sphere.
Bayt al-Hikmah: Where Stars of Knowledge Once Shone
During the Abbasid Caliphate, Baghdad emerged as a center of intellectual and economic excellence. One of the most iconic examples of their support for scientific advancement was the famous library of Baghdad, Bayt al-Hikmah—known in English as the House of Wisdom. From around the 5th to at least the 9th century, its collection was considered the largest in the world. The halls of this institution were always abuzz with the presence of prominent scholars of the time.
By Riham Rahman 2 years ago in Journal
The Untold Aspects of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Pt.2
Last part 8. Avatar (2009) drew significant inspiration from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. How? Let’s explain. In 1994, James Cameron had already completed about 80% of the conceptual work for Avatar. However, due to the limitations of visual effects at the time, he didn’t feel confident enough to begin production. Lacking advanced CGI and VFX, he decided to wait patiently for technological advancements. In 2002, after witnessing the CGI and motion capture used for Gollum in The Two Towers, Cameron was blown away. He realized the time had finally come to bring his dream project to life. And so, he jumped in headfirst to make it happen. 9. The legendary rock band The Beatles were huge fans of the franchise. They once wanted to make a Lord of the Rings movie with acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick. The plan was for Paul McCartney to play Frodo, Ringo Starr as Sam, George Harrison as Gandalf, and John Lennon as Gollum. The Beatles; Image Source: Alamy 11. Let’s now talk about Tolkien’s created universe. Many refer to this universe as Middle-earth, which isn’t entirely accurate. Middle-earth is actually a continent on the planet Arda, which itself is a part of the universe called Eä. The entire Lord of the Rings universe was born from the music of a divine being named Eru Ilúvatar. These divine creations, known as the Ainur, were responsible for shaping various elements of this universe. 12. The Lord of the Rings franchise features a total of seven constructed languages. Tolkien, a philologist and professor of English at the University of Leeds, created each of these languages with distinct grammatical structures. The most notable include the Elvish languages Sindarin and Quenya, Sauron’s Black Speech, the Valar’s language, Entish, and the Dwarvish secret language Khuzdul. Each language has a written grammar, allowing them to be used in real life by dedicated fans. Many assume Tolkien invented the languages for the story. In fact, it was the other way around—he created the languages first, and later built the stories around them. Quenya was developed in 1917, about 20 years before The Hobbit was published. Later, Tolkien went on to complete The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Quenya was inspired by the rare Finnish language of ancient England, while Sindarin drew influence from Welsh. Quenya was used by the High Elves of Valinor, while the Grey Elves and educated men like Aragorn in Middle-earth spoke Sindarin. 13. At the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, we see the fiery demon Balrog. Interestingly, Balrog, Gandalf, and Sauron all come from the same ancient origin. They were part of a race known as the Maiar, spiritual beings with shape-shifting powers, created by the god-like Valar to help shape the world. However, a division among the Valar caused Sauron and Balrog to side with evil, while Gandalf chose the path of good. Balrog; Image Source: New Line Cinema 14. The box office success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy was staggering. Each film had an average budget of around $93 million. Yet each one earned approximately $970 million globally, bringing in about ten times the investment. In total, the trilogy grossed around $2.9 billion worldwide, dominating the box office like a tornado. To this day, no film has broken its Oscar record. The Fellowship of the Ring won four Academy Awards, The Two Towers won two, and the final installment The Return of the King won eleven. Incredibly, The Return of the King won every single one of its eleven nominations—an exceptionally rare feat in Oscar history. Even after more than two decades, the trilogy’s popularity remains as strong as ever. The End!
By Riham Rahman 2 years ago in Journal
The Untold Aspects of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Pt.1
Imagine a group of friends deep in discussion about the greatest fantasy franchises in the world. Naturally, names like Harry Potter, The Witcher, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Marvel/DC Comics would come up. However, one name that must also be mentioned is J.R.R. Tolkien's immortal creation — The Lord of the Rings. Whether in books or on the silver screen, this franchise remains unforgettable. Formed with a unique blend of friendship, love, vengeance, lust for power, magic, and diverse races, the fantasy of this franchise can easily rival reality. In 2001, renowned director Peter Jackson brought this trilogy to the big screen with the first installment The Fellowship of the Ring. It garnered immense acclaim from critics and audiences alike, essentially immortalizing the franchise. This article dives into some lesser-known aspects of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 1. The Production Struggle Initially, it was decided that the film would be produced under the Miramax production house, split into two parts. However, due to budget constraints, the studio informed Peter Jackson that the entire story must be condensed into a single film. Knowing this would result in a disaster due to the vast plot, Jackson stood firm. Eventually, New Line Cinema, under Warner Bros., came forward to realize the dream, greenlighting the full trilogy. 2. Casting Surprises Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, originally wanted to play the powerful wizard Gandalf. He was the only cast member who had read the entire book series multiple times—every year, in fact—and even memorized large portions. A true fan of the franchise, he was also the only cast member to have ever met J.R.R. Tolkien. Upon hearing that a film adaptation was in the works, he personally wrote to Peter Jackson requesting to play Gandalf. However, Jackson suggested he take the role of Saruman instead. Interestingly, Scottish actor Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf and even promised 15% of the total box office revenue. But he declined, saying he couldn't grasp the complexity of the character. Eventually, the role went to Sir Ian McKellen, who brought Gandalf to life brilliantly. For the role of Aragorn, actors like Nicolas Cage, Stuart Townsend, and Russell Crowe were approached but declined. Ultimately, it went to Viggo Mortensen. American actor Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for Frodo, but Elijah Wood was chosen instead. 3. Helicopter Fear on Set Sean Bean, who played Boromir, had a severe fear of helicopters. The mountain scenes in the first film were shot in New Zealand, and most cast and crew were flown in by helicopter. But Bean refused to fly, so he would hike for nearly two hours to reach the shooting location. As a result, the entire crew had to wait for him every day on the mountain. 4. Differences Between the Book and the Film While four hobbits accompany Frodo in the films, there were five in the book. The missing one was Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger, who stayed behind in the Shire. He played a role in defending the Shire when Saruman attacked later. He briefly appears in the extended cut. Sauron is only shown as a giant eye atop a tower in the films, but in the book, he has a full physical description. His hunt for the One Ring was aimed at world domination. While the film shows Frodo setting out shortly after Bilbo gives him the ring, in the book, his journey begins 17 years later. Saruman’s death also differs. In the book, after the ring is destroyed in Mount Doom, the hobbits return to find that Saruman has taken over the Shire. They fight him, and eventually, Gríma Wormtongue kills Saruman by slitting his throat in a place called the Scouring of the Shire. 5. Epic Runtime Binge-watching this trilogy is no easy task. Each movie runs for nearly 3.75 hours on average. The original theatrical cuts total 9 hours and 18 minutes, while the extended editions stretch to an astounding 11 hours and 55 minutes — a record-setting runtime for a trilogy. 6. Groundbreaking Effects When the first film was released in 2001, CGI and VFX were just emerging technologies. Many new techniques debuted in this trilogy. To maintain realism, the director heavily used practical elements. Astonishingly, around 18,000 costumes were used, with 30–40 duplicates for each main character. There were also 2,000 unique weapons and about 10,000 arrows used, along with nearly 300 horses. The differences in character heights were achieved using clever camera angles and new visual effects. 7. Editing Nightmare The three films were released in 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively. The editing team was pushed to their limits managing such large-scale productions. At one point, editing for The Fellowship of the Ring had just finished while The Two Towers was in production, and footage for The Return of the King was already being cut. Even after the theatrical release of the final movie, Peter Jackson shot additional scenes for the extended edition. To be continued...
By Riham Rahman 2 years ago in Journal
Tom Cruise's 'Massive Breakfast' Fuels Death-Defying 'Mission Impossible' Airplane Stunts
Tom Cruise, the seemingly ageless 62-year-old Hollywood icon, is once again pushing the boundaries of cinematic action with his death-defying stunts in the upcoming installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, titled Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Known for his unwavering commitment to performing his own stunts, Cruise has now revealed the surprising fuel behind his high-octane performances – a "massive breakfast."
By Arif Islam2 years ago in Journal
‘Thunderbolts’ Review: Florence Pugh and Pals Kick Some Asterisk*
Marvel Studios has taken another bold leap into its ever-evolving cinematic universe with Thunderbolts — a film that feels like a fresh mix of anti-hero grit, comedic flair, and emotional nuance. Directed by Jake Schreier and headlined by Florence Pugh, Thunderbolts doesn’t just attempt to subvert traditional superhero storytelling—it gleefully flips the formula on its head.
By MD BILLAL HOSSAIN2 years ago in Journal
The Hell Behind Construction Sites.
The Hell Behind Construction Sites: The Hidden Reality of Building Giants Introduction When you gaze at a towering skyscraper, you see beauty—steel, glass, and elegance. But hidden behind that polished exterior is a story of struggle, exhaustion, and relentless labor. This is the untold story of construction sites—the invisible battlefield that powers the modern world. It’s time we expose the raw truth behind the structures that shape our cities.
By Sayed Zewayed2 years ago in Journal
Polish Wind
Introduction This is another Seven Days in piece that was getting a lot of traction, and it is a bit all over the place, but I thought it is relevant to writers about the difficulties of the English language that make it so brilliant to write with.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in Journal
How AI Transforming Our Lives and Our Jobs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a futuristic idea from science fiction movies. It’s here, woven into the fabric of our daily lives — from the smartphones in our pockets to the recommendations we get on Netflix, the customer service chats we use online, and even the medical tools diagnosing diseases. But as AI rapidly evolves, it raises important questions about its necessity, its benefits, and the challenges it brings, especially regarding human jobs.
By Alimuzzaman zamaddar2 years ago in Journal
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever
Life is a fragile and fleeting gift, one that often gets taken for granted amidst the routines and distractions of daily living. The quote "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" serves as a profound reminder that living fully and embracing continuous learning are not separate pursuits but deeply intertwined aspects of a meaningful existence.
By Nora Ariana2 years ago in Journal
Pune airport opens Udaan Yatri Café with Rs 10 tea, Rs 20 snacks for flyers
In a significant move to make air travel more affordable and passenger-friendly, Pune International Airport has inaugurated the 'Udaan Yatri Café' at its new terminal. This initiative, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, aims to provide budget-friendly refreshments to travelers, addressing long-standing concerns about exorbitant food and beverage prices at airports.
By Abjol Hussain Laskar2 years ago in Journal
The Power of Storytelling
In a time where technology is developing at a breakneck pace and information is abundant, storytelling has become a potent technique for engaging audiences. Stories have a special power to captivate, uplift, and connect with people on a deeper level, whether in marketing, education, or interpersonal relationships. Gaining insight into the power of narrative can improve communication and create deep connections.
By Shahjalal Shakik2 years ago in Journal
