The Tolkien Professor

Now that we’ve mapped out the characters, plot and action of the 13-episode first season, we get to decide who we’d like to see play the parts! This casting call includes a discussion forum component, so be sure to join in the fun!

Support The Tolkien Professor

In the 2-hour season finale, the culmination of the strife amongst the Valar comes to a head with three councils, two summonings, and an epic battle that will establish the Platonic ideal for all future battles.

Support The Tolkien Professor

We’ve gone too long without discussing the Mûmakil in the room: those darn orcs. In this session, we stop kicking that tin ration packaging down the road and deal with the inevitable.

Support The Tolkien Professor

In this episode, we explore why Aulë does what he does, showing parallels with Melkor and planting the seeds of impatience for the Coming of the Children of Iluvatar amongst the Valar.

Support The Tolkien Professor

In the final episode of Riddles in the Dark (really), Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and co-hosts Dave Kale and Trish Lambert go over the extended edition of the final film in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. Emotions run high as they consider the tying up (or not) of loose ends and the various arcs that may or may not have worked.

Support The Tolkien Professor

Subtitle: If you have a Balrog, you don’t need a cat. In which we start to link together all of the subplots and develop the first multi-episode story arc.

Support The Tolkien Professor

In Episode 9, we begin to look at the downfall of various Ainur, setting the stage for the three rebellions that happen over the rest of the season: Aulë’s rebellion, Mairon’s (Sauron’s) rebellion, and Ossë’s rebellion.

Support The Tolkien Professor

In the eighth episode of Season 1, we focus on the Two Trees, showing how they help to beautify Valinor – and instill jealousy and devious plans in Melkor.

Support The Tolkien Professor

In today’s session, we come up with a new tagline for the SilmFilm Project: “It’s better than Jackson could have come up with.” Also, we talk about the establishment of Valinor and provide a view of the Valar settling into their new homes.

Support The Tolkien Professor

This bonus SilmFilm discussion occurred as part of the Signum University Annual Fund Campaign Halloween Extravaganza in the fall of 2015. Dr. Corey Olsen and Trish Lambert—two-thirds of the SilmFilm podcast co-host team—led discussion about some sure-to-be-controversial fantasy casting discussions for the (purely theoretical) Silmarillion Film Project. There is plenty of fun, speculation and debate to go around.

The Simarillion Film Project, Mythgard Academy, and other free events and series that we offer free to the public are funded by tax-deductible donations. Please consider donating by going to http://www.signumuniversity.org and clicking on the “Donate” link at the top of the fast links box.