Entertainment
Lord Of The Rings Legend Rewatched Films Before Death
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
The passing of Christopher Lee remains one of the saddest celebrity deaths for fans of Lord of the Rings. The actor had a storied career spanning decades, but there was something about his performance as Saruman that helped ground Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy tale. But here is something that should comfort all fans of the films: according to a recent documentary, he actually re-watched Lord of the Rings the night that he died.
Christopher Lee Watched The Lord Of The Rings On His Death Bed
This information comes to us courtesy of the recent documentary The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee. The acclaimed actor’s son-in-law Juan Aneiros appears in the documentary and describes how Lee was in the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital receiving care and was very optimistic that he would soon be heading home. Aneiros and his wife (and Lee’s only daughter) Christina were there, and they all watched the Lord of the Rings along with the nurses, having no idea that the actor would be dead in the morning.
According to Aneiros, it was Christopher Lee’s idea to watch Lord of the Rings that night, in part because “he loved that movie.” It was coming on television, and the actor wanted to watch the film with his family in part to give them some behind-the-scenes info. He made an offer to his daughter and son-in-law that most fans of the franchise would have loved to receive: “I’ll explain to you how the movie [was made].
Didn’t Expect Lee To Pass That Night
Christopher Lee got his wish that night, and his family sat down with him to rewatch Lord of the Rings. It’s a pleasant memory, but one that has been made understandably bittersweet by the actor’s death. Aneiros says that they left thinking that Lee was okay and would be coming home soon; later, he remembers seeing his wife’s stressed face and hearing her sad pronouncement that “daddy is gone.”
Part of what made Christopher Lee’s death so shocking to Aneiros is that he thought the man would be extremely long-lived, much like his character in Lord of the Rings. “I actually thought he was eternal,” the son-in-law said. Because of that, Lee’s sudden death was “a shock,” but the family was able to take comfort from the manner of the man’s passing.
The Christopher Lee Documentary
In the documentary, Aneiros reiterates something we already know about Christopher Lee: namely, that the Lord of the Rings legend passed away peacefully in his sleep. “He didn’t suffer,” Aneiros said, “he just went to sleep.” While we would have selfishly loved to see more of the talented performer in other roles, it’s comforting to know that his death involved no pain or suffering.
These days, it’s hard not to think about Christopher Lee and the original Lord of the Rings performers as the franchise tries to forge a new path for an entirely new audience. The Rings of Power show is trying to bring some of the earliest days of Middle Earth to life, but its low viewership numbers suggest that many fans would rather toss this show into the crack of Mount Doom than watch it again. One can easily imagine what Lee’s Saruman would tell Amazon executives about this very expensive (season 1 alone cost $465 million) failure: “you have elected the way of pain.”
If nothing else, that’s certainly what all of us watching it have elected for ourselves.
Source: Yahoo! Movies
Entertainment
LA public schools pass screen time limits for students in a first
Los Angeles public school students may be returning to the age of college-ruled notebooks and Scantrons, following a Tuesday school board vote that will limit the use of computers, laptops, and tablets in classrooms.
Titled “Using Technology with Intention,” the new resolution mandates the creation of grade-level and subject-specific screen time limits across Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, including a complete ban on device usage for kindergarten and first grade. The use of one-to-one devices, like individual Chromebooks, will be discouraged for second through fifth grades, as well.
Revised guidelines will also address video-aided lesson plans, access to video streaming platforms like YouTube, and expanded restrictions on gaming and social media platforms.
District staff must present the revised tech use policy by June, which will go into effect for all LAUSD students beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Guidelines will be reevaluated every year, and schools are tasked with tracking and sharing student screen time numbers with parents.
Mashable Light Speed
The resolution cites increasing concern about the effect of screen time on young minds and alleged screen addiction, including recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies that show a correlation between high screen time and adverse health effects. The board was unanimously in favor of the tech restrictions, with one recusal.
“We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time and screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best,” board member Nick Melvoin said during Tuesday’s meeting.
“This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time…”
Advocates, parents, and even students have spent the last year lobbying for greater tech restrictions following the passing of a 2025 bell-to-bell cellphone ban restricting the use of personal devices during school hours. Schools Beyond Screens, a national classroom tech safety coalition founded by LAUSD parents and teachers, helped craft the resolution in collaboration with board members and co-sponsors Melvoin, Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Jerry Yang, Kelly Gonez, and Rocío Rivas.
“Now is the time for a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology, one that is not guided by Big Tech talking points like screen value over screen time,” the organization wrote in a press release following the decision.
“There is much work to be done, and this is only the beginning, but today, we are proud, grateful, and – for the first time in a long time – hopeful. Our kids may yet have the kind of public education that they deserve — one that is proven effective and free of undue digital distraction, harmful content, and corporate exploitation.”
Topics
Social Good
Family & Parenting
Entertainment
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is at the lowest price weve seen all year
SAVE $75: The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $299. That’s a 25% discount.
$224
at Amazon
$299
Save $75
Packing up for an adventure means figuring out how to bring along a soundtrack. A trip to the cabin or a lakeside campground all deserve to be experienced with a great playlist. If you could use an upgrade before summer to get a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of April 22, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $299. That’s a 25% discount that takes $75 off the price. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen at Amazon so far this year.
A compact speaker with a scratch-resistant aluminum shell is exactly what we should be packing on adventures. With an attached carabiner, the B&O Explore speaker is designed to clip onto your backpack when you hit the trail. Or you can utilize the rubber base to set it on a rock or even in the sand. It’s both waterproof and dustproof, adding to the durability.
Bang & Olufsen notes this model gets up to 27 hours of playtime before it needs to recharge. It weighs under 1.5 pounds, so it won’t add much bulk to your gear. It takes about two hours to recharge the Beosound Explore.
Mashable Deals
Before summer kicks into high gear, add the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore speaker to your pack. It’s ready for any adventure you have planned.
Entertainment
Get some new wrist candy with the CMF Watch Pro 2 at its lowest price ever
SAVE $39.01: As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s a discount of 49% and the lowest price we’ve seen.
$39.99
at Amazon
$79
Save $39.01
There are tons of smartwatches on the market if you’re in need of one. But if you’re willing to look beyond the Apple Watches or Samsung devices out there, you’ll find an awesome alternative from the Nothing brand that’ll save you some serious cash. Not only is it more affordable than the competition, but it’s got everything you could want and then some. In fact, one of the models is on sale right now.
As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s $39.01 off and a discount of 49%. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen.
This affordable smartwatch not only comes in an attractive form factor, but it has just about everything you could ask for. It has your average comms tools like Bluetooth calling and gesture control, a built-in mic and speaker, contacts, message reminders, and music control. But from there, it offers a wide range of sensors and data to help you take control of your health.
It offers a portable blood oxygen saturation monitor, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and so much more. All of this data, including workout information, steps, and much more, can be synced across all your favorite fitness apps, including Apple Health and Google Health Connect. There are 120 sports modes to choose from, GPS positioning, and even a 3D warm-up exercise guide to help get you on your feet each day.
Mashable Deals
With interchangeable watch straps and an attractive face, this extremely reasonable smartwatch is definitely one to rival Apple and Samsung. You’ll want to grab yours while it’s still down to the lowest price we’ve seen.
Minnesota United, FC Dallas put unbeaten streaks on line
Frustrated San Diego FC vying for better result at Dynamo
