J.R.R. Tolkien

Slouching Toward Erebor

The Hobbit gets neither there nor back again.

Alexander Scriabin Attempted to Cause/Score Armageddon

​We here at Rocks Off are fascinated not only with the end of the world, but with the people who are convinced that they're going to see it. We spend quite a bit of time playfully using the light-hearted headlines from Yahoo! News about the music industry as a springboard into the Book of Reve ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Anyone Else Underwhelmed By The Hobbit Trailer?

Can Peter Jackson top this? I doubt it.​The trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey dropped like Boromir after taking a few Uruk-hai arrows yesterday. The first of Peter Jackson's two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy doesn't hit theaters until ... More >>

Ryan Seacrest Begets a Music Festival... And The Apocalypse

Mason Lankford said, "There will come a day when we forget the Rapture ever even happened," but Rocks Off is keeping an eye out for signs of our impending Armageddon. We were wrong last time, but we're totally right this time! Jyle Dupuis​Ryan Seacrest is a towering figure in the entertainmen ... More >>

True Blood: Nick Cave & Neko Case Ditch Faeries For Zombies

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​Expectation. That's the word of the day, gentle readers, of ... More >>

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition

The Hobbit

Worried About Swine Flu: Here Are Five Virus Movies To Feed Your Fears

Got flu? Hopefully not, and hopefully all this talk of pandemics and Madagascar closing its borders are just media hysteria. Still, there's nothing wrong with a little self-imposed isolation for you and the family, so here are some timely cinematic selections for you to watch in between hand-washin ... More >>

Puddle of Fun

LocoRoco is the perfect one-night stand.

Sold Out

At the MFAH and the HMNS, it's all about the bottom line

Playbill

A Bright Prophecy

Big things are in store for teen author Flavia Bujor

Con Man

John Simons takes pity on the D&D crowd and hosts Midnight Con

Frodo Fare

The Rivendell Bar & Grille

Orc Chops

The action's much meatier in Jackson's second Rings film

An Orcen Man

For some writers, there's no reason to leave Middle Earth

Talkin' Tolkien

Who has the right to write about the lord of the Ring's fictional tongues?

In the Baggins

We're off to see the wonderful wizards of The Lord of the Rings

Object of Desire

Liv Tyler toys with the tongue-hanging boys in One Night at McCool's

Dream Weaver

Sandman author Neil Gaiman finds magic in the damnedest place

Do You Believe in Magic?

Hundreds of Houstonians do. For them, Magic: The Gathering isn't just a card game, it's a way of life. And at times, it can be a lucrative one.