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LOTR Director's Cut Reviewed
popala writes "The first review is in on Home Theater Forum. There are a few screenshots from the unseen scenes and the whole thing is reviewed dvd by dvd! Although I don't like the review itself - I think it is a bit dry and not very journalistic, I do think it is still worth a read - even just a glance of the screenshots from cut scenes."
That's right, it's the MPAA.
kthx
I've been waiting for the director's cut for what feels like ages. And it has just the scenes that I felt the lack of most in the original release... Too bad we can't view them in a proper cinema -- maybe in the 25th anniversary re-release, or something...
I wish it weren't still missing the whole Tom Bombadil sub-plot... But the 'spirit' of the book is there.
They really did leave a lot of stuff out of the released version. I don't remember seeing Frodo's nude scene when it was in theatres... :-)
Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
as everyone has probably already heard he doesn't really think this is a Director's Cut but just an extended edition. he goes into his problems with the term "Director's Cut" in one of the videos...
What is the obsession some people have with the dry day-to-day process of film making? All this. "Well, at 5am we get up and go to make-up..." etc. I wonder whether they have "Dry-cleaning: The directors cut", in which their cleaner gives a dull voice over saying "Well, then we add the cleaning chemicals, but not before we've checked for damage ... [portentously] and thats how we produce ... the miracle of dry cleaning [/portentously]".
Better, go back to the source: A copy of LOTR with a an epilogue by Prof. Tolkien saying "Well, I usually write with a 2B pencil, but they go blunt very easily... I use the SharpOMatic-800 sharpener, or sometimes I'll use a biro."
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Who cut the normal cut then? Didn't the director have any say in the matter?
I wish hollywood would stop trying to sell us something that we've already got again, on the pretext that it's got extra bits in that the director decided were a bad idea the first time round.
Just as I read down to the part with the screenshots from the new scenes, I got this terrible sense that what I was doing was wrong, and I should not be spoiling this with these low quality, out of context previews. Thankfully, the server cooperated and was unable to load most of the images I was trying to protect myself from. For the first time ever, slashdotting did some good!
oh my almighty god, i'm just the second poster, but that forum has already been /.ed
Slightly offtopic, but this always amazes me. Why oh why are people surprised that an article gets slashdotted straight away? Do you expect it to get slashdotted after, say, 150 posts? Knock,knock people - if it can hold up to the traffic to get us to 150 posts it isn't going to get slashdotted.
Try NetBSD... safe,straightforward,useful.
Don't you know that if you see an unseen scene you destroy it?
There's something very quantum mechanical about all this, I'm sure. But if you're content to merely contemplate the unseen scene, you can come near the Tao of Middle Earth.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
GREAT! I didn't buy the regular version because I stuck out for this version, Now it is finally here! Wow, the link is sloooow. Here i copied out all the text. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition Studio: New Line Year: 2001 Rated: PG-13 Film Length: 208 minutes Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (2.35:1) Subtitles: English One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them Published in 1954-1955, J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece Lord Of The Rings trilogy still remains one of the most definitive works of imaginary fiction ever written. The extraordinary efforts to get this trilogy to the screen is a testament of how popular these stories are today. Featuring 350 constructed sets, 100 or more locations, and 20,602 extras, this is the largest film project ever undertaken by a studio. New Line took a huge gamble and risked everything by filming all three movies back-to-back without knowing the fate of the original release. That gamble obviously paid off as Fellowship of the Ring grossed a phenomenal $157 million in just 12 days and held the No. 1 spot for weeks since its opening. Perhaps the most significant testament to the film's success lies in how magnificently the book was adapted to the screen. I was a pre-teen when I first read the entire trilogy. The book sparked my imagination like no other book has since. Never would I have believed that anyone could capture my imaginations and put them on the screen. Production designer Grant Major and art director Dan Hennah have created a visual masterpiece -- from the wonderfully pleasing Shire to the soaring elven town of Rivendell to Moria, the dwarven caves deep inside a mountain. The incredibly varied terrain of New Zealand was used to great advantage in the movie, and it was very difficult to tell what was natural scenery and what was constructed set or even computer generated effects. Set in the mythical land of Middle Earth, in an era of goblins and wizards, the evil Lord Sauron and his dark forces once again threaten to rule all. The fate of the world relies on who possesses the one ring, which holds unspeakable power. Lord Sauron created the ring out of the fiery depths of Doom Mountain years and years ago, but it was during a battle where Sauron was killed that the ring changed hands. The ring is lost once again only to be found by Gollum, a lowly creature that gets poisoned by its power. The ring is eventually stolen by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. And so, this is where the trilogy begins..... As the film opens, Gandalf the Wizard (Ian McKellen) is visiting his old Hobbit friend, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). When Bilbo makes a daring announcement to a group of party guests, Gandalf realizes that Bilbo is in possession of a very important ring. Gandalf convinces Bilbo to give up the ring, and give it to the very young Frodo (Elijah Wood). When the secret of the ring is finally revealed to the old Wizard, Frodo is warned to leave the Shire at once. However, evil agents are already on their trail. Pursued by dark riders, the Hobbits are forced to team up with a mysterious stranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen). The reluctant adventurers make their way to Rivendell, a temporary safe haven, where a grand council decides the ring must be destroyed by returning it to the fire from which it was made. With reluctance, nine chosen companions embark on a most perilous quest. The Director's Cut It is not until you watch this Director's cut that you realize how much bigger-than-life this epic has become. The film becomes a totally fresh and new viewing experience mainly thanks to the film's cleverly reconstructed 15-minute opening, which is included in the addition of 30 minutes of footage that greatly flesh out the characters and bring more depth to the story. As many times as I have seen this film in its standard version, this new cut was an awe-inspiring experience for me. I'll never watch the standard version again. The Lord Of The Rings: FOTR arrives in a brand new 4-disc edition housed inside an attractive book-like casing. The movie is spread across discs One and Two. This means that nearly 1:45 minutes into the film, you will need to switch to disc two in order to continue. The upside is that this enables the inclusion of four new audio commentaries as well as several audio formats including English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround and English DTS ES 6.1 Surround. The downside is that when you switch discs, you must go into the SETUP area and once again set your audio preferences. The bottom line is that you will not be able to watch an uninterrupted presentation of the film. Discs Three and Four contain The Appendices, Part I and II. The added footage What I am going to do now is break down the list of added footage for you, as well as including a handful of screenshots. Please note that most of this is from memory, and there is always the possibility I may be describing a scene that was already in the standard version. I think my memory is pretty good and that I will come very close to being pretty accurate. Also please realize that since a small amount of added footage comes through quick cuts, I may have missed a few minor additions. Disc One - In a newly reconstructed introduction to the film (and before the opening credits), we listen to added narration from Bilbo as he sits at his table working on his memoirs. We learn more about the Hobbits...their passions for food, planting and celebration. More importantly, we are introduced to the ring at a much earlier interval. - During a fireworks display, Bilbo welcomes guests and hides from others as he has extended dialogue with Frodo. - In the library. Gandalf reads more of the history of the ring, complete with added flashback. - A party has Merry and Pippin dancing on a table as others talk about the war brewing beyond their borders. - A beautiful sequence where in the woods just outside of the Shire, Sam and Frodo peer upon a group of wood-elves on their way to the harbor beyond the grey towers. Sam also complains about not being able to sleep amongst the roots. - An extended sequence inside the Prancing Pony regarding Strider. - Additional dialogue with Strider. The Hobbits talk amongst themselves as to whether they should trust Strider and if he really is a friend of Gandalf. - A walk through a marsh filled with mosquitos (great rear channel effects here). Later, Strider sings beneath the light of the moon about a love he lost. - Saruman consulting the "eye of Sauron" which tells him to "build an army worthy of Mordor." - Frodo awakens after being stabbed by the blade of a Wraith. He is in a thicket surrounded by Troll statues. - As the Wraiths chase Arwen Undómiel, they stop at a river crossing. One of the wraiths calls out to her, demanding she give up the halfling. (not certain if the wraith call was in the original version) - A really cool sequence that takes place during the roundtable meet in Rivendell. As Frodo places the ring on the table, Borimor goes for it, claiming it is a gift to be used against Mordor. A spell is raised that literally shakes the mountains. Disc Two - A brand new sequence opens the second disc as Aragorn (formally known as Strider) visits the grave of his Mother as Elrond Peredhil reminds him of his destiny. - Elrond bids farewell to the departing nine companions as the fellowship awaits the ring bearer. - A short sequence upon a wintry mountain where Saruman responds to Gandalf, reminding him of the dangers of going into the Moria mines. - A short dialogue sequence where Gandalf asks Frodo to help an old man. Gandalf asks the Hobbit how his shoulder is as both discover how powerful the influence of the ring is becoming. The wizard advises Frodo to only trust himself. We also learn that Gandalf is sensing impending danger inside the Moria mines that will ultimately test him. - Another sequence has Gandalf becoming irate over not being able to find the words to open the doors of Durin that lead the way to the heart of Moria. - Inside the mines of Mordor, against a steep cliff, Gandalf points his way down the chasms as he shows his companions the true wealth of Moria. - A newly found passage into the great hall of the mines of Mordor. Gandalf speaks of the oncoming Balrog. The jump across the bridge is also greatly extended with a new set of stairs to cross and a much earlier arrival of a full-formed Balrog. - As Frodo walks through the woods he hears additional calls of Galadriel, Lady of the Galadrhim. Gimli makes a very uncourteous remark about the lady after being captured by elves. Later, Aragorn tells Frodo that Gandalf's death was not in vain. - The group is handed cloaks and food by the elves as well as parting advice. Galadriel gives gifts to each of the members. Gimli has a very unlikely request. Wait till you hear what he receives. - As the group makes a short stop on shore, there is another sighting of Gollum in the water. Sam pleads to Frodo that he is truly his friend and wants to help. Boromir and Aragorn argue. - An extended battle sequence between Aragorn and the head Orc. - As Frodo embarks on his final journey of this installment, he remembers the words of Gandalf, who briefly appears in flashback. Again, I must stress that all of this is from memory. Please be kind if I made any mistakes here. Fortunately, the added material can easily be identified by going into Select a Scene where asterisks indicate **new scene as well as **extended scene. Please note that I did not refer to this area prior to writing the above scenes. How is the transfer? To say that this is an absolutely flawless transfer and leave it at that would be sort of shortchanging this review -- but it would be the absolute truth. What we have here is an absolutely pristine image that is very close to Hi-Def. The transfer looks absolutely smooth and with extremely accurate colors -- especially in the facial flesh tones. Blacks are rock solid and the picture never becomes too sharp nor soft, giving this film a very natural beauty. This DVD features both English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround and English DTS ES 6.1 Surround. Even though My system is limited to a 5.1 setup, it wasn't difficult to get totally immersed in the audio presentation. As I usually expect from most DTS tracks, the sound has a very spacial quality to it -- not sounding the least compressed. This is one hell of an aggressive mix with sound that is extremely accurate and detailed. The rear channels are nearly always active throughout, and there's tremendous LFE channel support that adds booming floor-shaking response. This is one of the strongest sounding LFE tracks in memory -- so strong in fact that I was very concerned about blowing out my subwoofer. It really becomes difficult to define a transfer that is as beautiful as this one. Thus far, Attack Of The Clones has become the best DVD I have seen, thanks to its direct digital transfer. I was amazed to see that this film transfer looked almost as good. This tells you much about the effort New Line has put into making this DVD look flawless. Special Features As I sit here with four discs containing over 6 hours of material, I sort of hesitate to move on. What lies before me is over a full day's worth of review material devoted to one DVD package. I will do as thorough of a job as I can with this, but will mostly highlight what you can expect out of these supplements. Disc One and Two As you pop in the DVD, you are welcomed at a Hobbit table where a book, The Fellowship of The Ring opens to reveal a page of menu selections. Disc One contains the first part of the Director's cut which runs close to 1hr. 45 minutes. The side break is at the 1:45 mark where Pippin inquires "when are we goin'?!". A black screen comes up prompting you to continue to Disc Two. From the Special Features menu you can select any one of four commentaries. These commentaries feature: Track One: The Directors and Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Track Two: The Design Team: Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, John Howe, Dan Hennah, Chris Hennah and Tania Rodger. Track Three: The Production/Post Production Team: Barrie Osborne, Mark Ordesky, Andrew Lesnie (and a approximately 11 more) Track Four: The Cast: Eliijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monoghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee and Sean Bean. What is very unique here is that each supplemental audio commentary track is accompanied by a subtitle identifying each different speaker. Now I must apologize in advance. Commentaries are usually the last thing I review. After spending a day writing this one, I am going to briefly touch upon just one of the commentaries. That commentary is of the cast. First, you will be very happy to learn that all of them are here together in one room -- except for Christopher Lee whose tracks seemed to have been recorded separate. Two things of immediate interest here. First, it's a very tame group effort for such a bunch of young cast members. Second, it seems all of these individuals are watching the added DVD material for the very first time as many of them seem to be in awe of what they are watching. McKellen talks about a windy day in the shire and the problem of keeping his hat on. The group never hesitates to point out where each scene was filmed -- especially when an actor crosses from an outdoor set onto a soundstage. You'll also hear the cast talk about "BK", who is Elijah's 3'4" double, used in scenes where height comparison was needed. Christopher Lee talks about some of the falls he had to do, being knocked around quite often (but fortunately not from any great height). A wraith chase through the woods leading the Hobbits to the Ferry is not so fondly recalled here. The boys had an awful time in the pouring rain not only from shoes that went flying off...but by the time they reached the bottom of the hill, they were so exhausted they had to be carried back up. I realize I have merely scratched the surface on the commentaries, but I think all of you understand that I just cannot rewatch 3 hours of material to give you the type of review you want. Disc Three Here begins what is called The Appendices. They are spread out across Discs Three and Four. Let's begin with Disc Three which is titled Part One: From Book To Vision As in the rear pages of the Tolkien books, these Appendices give the back stories and origins of how the mythology of Middle Earth was created. Part One (Disc Three) has 2.5 hours worth of documentary material and Part Two has 3.5 hours of additional documentary material. Let's begin with Disc Three: Part One: From Book to Vision We begin with an Introduction from director Peter Jackson who not only welcomes you aboard, but lays out exactly what you can expect from the two supplemental discs before you. In fact, he gives you several options of how you can best navigate through all of the enclosed material. J.R.R. Tolkien - creator of Middle Earth begins with Peter Jackson talking about the sheer wealth of information that Tolkien brought to his books. From there, we get a thorough background history on Tolkien who became an orphan at the very early age of 12. His Mother actually was the person who inspired him to read, and after her death, he was committed to continue with his literary studies. We learn of his studies of the English language at Oxford, as well as his involvement in the World War where most of the suffering he witnessed had a profound affect on his later writings. Tolkien Biography author Humphrey Carpenter tells us that Tolkien wrote the first installment of the book almost blindly, not knowing what its structure would be, practically shaping it all as he went along. The documentary also explores the phenomenon of the books, thanks to its underlying themes of human existence. (length: approx. 22 minutes) From Book to Script reveals how much Jackson is a real fan of the books, first reading the trilogy at the age of 18. Director of Photography Andrew Lesnie agrees -- this was the first book that really taught him how powerful words could be. We go down the line in interview after interview with cast members and filmmakers like Sean Bean (Boromir), Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and others who talk about their first experiences reading the books. The subject of proposing a three-film deal to New Line Cinema is discussed here, with added comments from filmmakers and cast members such as Christopher Lee (Saruman), who was actually in favor of the decision. The team responsible for shaping the script into a three film story talk a little about what the process was like. The cast members talk about the incredible writing process of the film. John Rys-Davies (Gimli) jokes about revisions of the script that were slipped under his door the night before a shoot. One of the most difficult characters for Jackson and his team was Arwen 'Evenstar' Undómiel, a character that had a very small role in the book series. In order to make her a character with some weight, more material had to be added for her. The scenes around the table of Elrond was also difficult to shoot because of the amount of material that was in the book. We also learn how the evil encased within the ring had to be animated -- given its own character. (length: approx. 20 minutes) Visualizing the story contains a wealth of storyboards, animatics and animation to film comparisons. Here we go... Storyboards and Pre-viz: Making words into images presents Jackson, his effects and miniatures team as they discuss the amount of detail that was involved in order to shoot the film as fluidly as possible. Every single frame in this film was story boarded by Peter. This greatly helped the visual and effects team. Jackson took the storyboard process one step further by creating small models with little figurines so that camera shots could be more accurately conveyed. (length: approx. 13 minutes) There are three early storyboards that are really cool to watch -- especially for the fact that they play as individual movies set against music and dialogue. In addition to an alternate prologue (done with storyboards and CGI), there are two abandoned scenes that have been cleverly recreated for this DVD. Very cool! In Pre-Viz Animatics we watch how computer graphics laid out the blueprint for what was to be filmed, including specific camera angles. The scenes presented here are Gandalf rides to Orthanc and The Stairs of Khazad-Dum. Animatic to film comparisons give you a split-screen look at how two specific scenes look from original storyboard concept to final print. Finally, in this section, Bag End set test is a very nice treat to watch. In a yet unfinished wooden set, film production and set design members partake in a sort of blocking test. It's funny to watch Jackson scurry around the set (acting like Bilbo) as someone holds up a head on a stick that represents Gandalf. (length: approx. 6 minutes) Let's go to Designing and filming Middle Earth... Designing and building Middle Earth takes us through original book illustrations of trolls, Wizards and Goblins that create such a believable environment that you think it was all once real. We take a look at a team of designers who, before the script was finished, put together models and drawings that portrayed a totally believable world inserted in shots of actual New Zealand locations where the stories originated from. There are some very interesting home movies of the models being built, as well as the many drawings that were offered for feedback before sculpturing began. This is a very extensive featurette that goes far more into depth than I could describe here, but it represents the huge collaborative effort of creating the world of Middle Earth. (length: approx. 41 minutes) Weta Workshop takes us to Camperdown Studios, a place that Elijah Wood describes as "Willy Wonka's chocolate factory without the candy". Everything in the film that you saw was made here -- all the armor, all the weapons, the creatures and miniatures. I think you will be mesmerized as you weave through the very tight shop filled with an awesome amount of miniature models (that aren't so miniature). Some of the miniatures were the size of soundstages. All the masks, and yes, hairy feet were created here as well. My favorite part was watching the creation of the Cave Troll made out of plaster and skin. We also learn how impossible it is to create armor, due to all its complexities. (length: approx. 43 minutes) Costume Design introduces us to Costume Designer Nglia Dickson and her 40 seamstresses that created the costumes for the film. Nglia talks about how huge and complex the project was, being very thankful that a lot of designs were already in place before she came aboard. I was absolutely amazed to look at footage of a warehouse lined with rows upon rows of costumes. With original concept drawings in hand, Nglia takes us through each set of characters and how costumes (and their colors) were specifically designed for their race and personality. (length: approx. 12 minutes) There are two design galleries that represent the peoples and realms of Middle Earth. There is such a wealth of information here presented as a slide show that I cannot go through it all in one sitting. Let me just say that it is chock-full of original artist renderings from enemies such as Sauron, The Cave Troll and Orcs to the characters that make up the fellowship. Then there are original drawings of all the realms of Middle Earth that include (among others) The Shire, Bree, Moria and Rivendell. So much material here and so little time. Middle Earth Atlas lays out a large map of the entire landscape as you use your remote to pick a location and see scenes from the film that show how that area was involved in the journey. New Zealand as Middle Earth lets you use your remote to pick particular locations on a map and see where they were filmed. For instance, Rivendell was filmed in Wellington, with its beautiful forests and landscapes. We watch how sets were built against these backdrops. Disc Four Okay, time to move on to Disc Four, Part Two: From Vision to Reality Once again we are treated to an introduction to all the material on this disc. Surprisingly, that introduction comes courtesy of Elijah Wood (Frodo) who tells us that this portion of the DVD covers everything from the film's production right on through the film's release. He also gives you some advice on how to properly navigate your way through the material. Filming The Fellowship of the Ring is divided into four main areas. Let us take a look at them.... The Fellowship of the Cast, as you would expect, takes us through the casting process. Since none of these actors had worked together before, Jackson talks about being nervous once all of them got off the plane in New Zealand, meeting each other for the first time. In separate interviews, the cast members talk about leaving home for an extended period and meeting each other for the first time. You will have a big fat smile on your face as you hear the story of how Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) first met. Ian McKellen talks about taking a year out of his life, away from home, making new friends. It turned out to be a kind of Boy Scout adventure for the men -- a real boys club. There are some great stories here told by the actors themselves, including one about Sean Astin (Samwise Gangee) being very nervous about a helicopter ride. Another story involves John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) taking a small group of 12 out to a restaurant and ordering enough food for 40 people. I love to hear Billy Boyd tell this story while doing a dead-on impersonation of the actor. This is simply just a fun collection of individual stories from all the cast members that truly show how much they love one another. (length: approx. 34 minutes) I heard the news today oh, boy! A Day In The Life of a Hobbit starts at 5am and takes us through the makeup and prosthetics that go into making a Hobbit. We see how the feet are attached, as well as the ears which absorb sound and make it difficult to hear. There are some really fun home movie footage of cast members in makeup eating and relaxing between film takes. We are also introduced to Elijah's smaller version of himself as we dwell into the art of staging a scene to show proper size proportions. (length: approx. 13 minutes) Cameras in Middle-Earth is a very lengthy look at how so many units of camera crew managed to shoot the entire epic in a remarkably short period of time. Jackson depended on the people that ran these units to be in places he could not. The documentary takes us through the many realms of the film as we visit location after location, watching how each segment was shot. Christopher Lee talks about the unusual amount of takes that Peter Jackson wanted from him, wanting to get words and mannerisms exactly right. Cast members recall trudging through the marshes where the water was absolutely freezing cold while Peter Jackson was by his trailer giggling about it all. It's interesting to watch how outdoor location shots of Rivendale had to be duplicated for later shots done inside of a studio. Lighting was a major importance here. Jackson talks about filming on the snowy mountaintops with helicopters bringing the entire cast and crew aboard...all except Sean Bean (Boromir) who refused to fly, and instead took a ski lift to the top. As the featurette draws to a close, we watch Jackson coordinate the huge fight that comes at the end of the film. It was an incredibly long shoot in blazing hot weather, and there's some great behind-the-scenes footage here that captures it all. (length: approx. 50 minutes) Production Photos contain about 72 stills that were taken on location. Let's take a look at the section devoted to Visual Effects... Scale simply deals with heights. There's a relationship of size between Hobbits and Humans. This featurette looks at things such as scale compositing, forced perspective, and creating sets that properly portray size. There's also a very interesting look at the big rigs used in the film and the small people that drive them. These big rigs were used to make the Hobbit characters seem smaller. (length: approx. 15 minutes) Miniatures begins with Big-atures. Miniature Director of Photography Alex Funke talks about the importance of using miniatures rather than creating them digitally. These miniatures models became the basis for some of the most jaw-dropping visual sequences of the film. The bigger the miniature, the more realistic that model is going to look on screen. We take a look at much of the miniatures used in the film and how they were combined with the live action sequences. (length: approx. 16 minutes) After you are through watching the above featurette, you can browse through hundreds of photos that make up the miniatures gallery. Presented in slide-show fashion, just about every realm from the film is represented here. Weta Digital takes us through the post- production process of adding visual effects to the film. This specially built facility was built to bypass huge costs, in order to create all the digital effects. Of course, you can be assured that you will be shown lots of digital computer effects in this segment, including the creation of the squid creature that grabs Frodo. My favorite part? Taking a look at how the original wraith kings (as seen through Frodo's invisibility) was shot. You see the live actors reaching for what would be Frodo. Coool! (length: approx. 24 minutes) Let's look at Post Production: Putting it all together.... Editorial: Assembling an Epic introduces us to Editors John Gilbert and Peter Skarratt who talk about the immense size of the film project, and the huge amount of footage that ended up in the editing room. There were eight units producing footage daily, and it was up to the editors to sort through 5 million feet of film, bringing it down to 4 million feet. One of the most difficult scenes to edit was Arwen's horse chase scene. There were just hours and hours of footage with horses that had to be trimmed down to just a few minutes. There's also discussion about the scenes that were deleted from the film early on and now being reinserted in this DVD. (length: approx. 12 minutes) You couldn't ask for anything better than this! Anyone interested in filmmaking will indeed cherish Editorial Demonstration: The Council of Elrond, which consists of 36 different takes and illustrates the challenges faced by the editorial team. Six windows play above the final cut of the film. Each of those six windows will highlight a take that was selected by the editor as the one used in the film. Digital Grading talks about shooting footage on location, which looks all too real, and nudging it up a bit -- adding elements that make it look sort of unworldly. This is done by taking a film negative, scanning it, and then manipulating the image with a variety of tools. Once you add colors and highlights it gets scanned back onto the negative. Supervising Digital Colourist Peter Doyle takes us through raw footage and shows how individual sequences were manipulated. Graded and ungraded images are compared inside-by-side windows. (length: approx. 12 minutes) Let's take a look at Sound and Music... The soundscapes of Middle-Earth is all about the sound design of the film. There was a wealth of sound effects that had to be created in the studio. Using high-tech equipment, a small team of artists created sounds that transported the audience to Middle Earth. There are several examples here how sounds were created for many of the key sequences. You'll be surprised how plungers and rubber floor mats became very useful. The biggest challenge was creating the screams of the ring wraiths. How was it done? It was actually the screams of Fran Walsh. (length: approx. 12 minutes) Music for Middle-Earth introduces us to composer Howard Shore who wrote the music that guided our emotions throughout the film. Shore worked on the film for nearly two years. We watch the composer on the soundstage of Skywalker Ranch (where I personally stood not more than 1 month ago), where he conducts the orchestra. We learn how a dialect coach helped put together a song sequence sung by Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn). What surprised me is that he made up the tune himself and was simply looking for the words. The Abbey Road studio is the setting for a chorus of young boys that added the sweet, emotional passages to the film. Later, shore talks about writing a score as if it were an Opera, bringing a certain kind of grandeur to the soundtrack. (length: approx. 12 minutes) Finally... The Road goes ever on is the perfect closing featurette as it looks at the promotional aspects of the film, particularly the premiers where cast members were treated like royalty by their adoring fans. There's some quick footage from Elijah's home movies as the cast arrives at a French premiere. Featured here are hordes of fans, grand speeches of thanks and lots of flying confetti. Peter Jackson talks about the film being more than just a job -- it was a breathtaking experience where friends came together and created something really special. (length: approx. 7 minutes) DVD-ROM content basically takes you to New Line's website that promises updated Lord of the Rings content. Easter Eggs? Check out the reviews on other websites. After spending hours on this review I just did not have the strength to search. I do know there are 2 eggs hidden somewhere in this package. What is not here? With all the added material that is available here it is utterly surprising to find a lack of promotional materials. There are no trailers nor TV spots nor poster stills. Forgiveable? I suppose so. Final Thoughts Seriously folks, my head is spinning. I must have spent 10 hours on this review between watching the film itself and going through two discs of supplemental material. By far, this is the most extensive project I have ever worked on -- and it's no wonder -- Lord Of The Rings is the most elaborate cinematic epic ever, and the journey is just beginning. One might look at this 4-disc package as being complete overkill for the average fan. Fortunately, it isn't the average fan that this set is geared towards. This is a visual encyclopedia that shows every aspect of the film's journey from pre-production to promotion. Most of all, this set is the product of a huge amount of care and dedication that started with Peter Jackson and his team who provided this wealth of supplemental material right on down to New Line Cinema that has produced one of the most beautiful transfers ever to be seen on DVD. It is that reason that I let myself age a full day while writing this review. Consider it a homage to the magnificence of this set!
History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it - Sir Winston Churchill
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Have both had their reviews up at the beginning of the week. You can also catch reviews of Star Trek III, Spider-man, etc.
George Lucas was quoted, "There seems to be a bit of this going around."
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I probably won't be buying this, but I hope someday to have a friend who does (take that, MPAA!) so that I can see the scene where Galadriel dispenses her gifts. Frankly, one of the biggest disapointments of FotR (which, largely, I really enjoyed) was the reduction of Gimli from character to caricature. I'd hope to see in that scene some glimmer of the Gimli that, IMHO, should have been, or have confirmed that Jackson simply had no idea of what to do with a dwarf and decided to settle for Stupid Dwarf Jokes.
You may want to check out the review on the Digital Bits as well.
Maybe you'd never see that phrase on a Metallica T-shirt... but when I think of them, a similar phrase comes to mind: Arse-grating artists . :-)
That is all.
...but what about those scenes that are in the movie that aren't true to the book? Personally, I'd rather see the extra length offset a bit by cutting some of the things that are untrue to the book. Like all the Aragorn-Arwen stuff and the things that weren't supposed to be revealed until later. I mean, this edition is meant to appease those that wanted more from the books in the movie, right?
I've got a couple of questions.
1) Were the two (yes, there were two not one) cars removed from the background of the farmyard scene?
2) Have the forest scenes been added? Many scenes of the forest were cut for looking too jungle-like (LOTR was filmed in New Zealand). Most shots of trees in the movie were of foreign pines and the like.
The group is handed cloaks and food by the elves
as well as parting advice. Galadriel gives gifts
to each of the members. Gimli has a very
unlikely request. Wait till you hear what he
receives.
I wonder... Could it be a strand of hair? He forgets, most people have read the book and are eagerly waiting for those cut parts to be re-introduced into the film.
Tournament Management Online &
I'm probably nitpicking here, but I would really prefer if everyone would refer to this 4-DVD release as it was intended by Peter Jackson - as an extended cut and not "Director's cut". Peter Jackson has himself explained that he does not like the term "DC" because it implies that there was something wrong, in the original theaterical release. This has been mentioned in almost every interview during the year. Thank you.
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
Studio: New Line Year: 2001 Rated: PG-13 Film Length: 208 minutes Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (2.35:1) Subtitles: English
One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
Published in 1954-1955, J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece Lord Of The Rings trilogy still remains one of the most definitive works of imaginary fiction ever written. The extraordinary efforts to get this trilogy to the screen is a testament of how popular these stories are today. Featuring 350 constructed sets, 100 or more locations, and 20,602 extras, this is the largest film project ever undertaken by a studio. New Line took a huge gamble and risked everything by filming all three movies back-to-back without knowing the fate of the original release. That gamble obviously paid off as Fellowship of the Ring grossed a phenomenal $157 million in just 12 days and held the No. 1 spot for weeks since its opening.
Perhaps the most significant testament to the film's success lies in how magnificently the book was adapted to the screen. I was a pre-teen when I first read the entire trilogy. The book sparked my imagination like no other book has since. Never would I have believed that anyone could capture my imaginations and put them on the screen. Production designer Grant Major and art director Dan Hennah have created a visual masterpiece -- from the wonderfully pleasing Shire to the soaring elven town of Rivendell to Moria, the dwarven caves deep inside a mountain. The incredibly varied terrain of New Zealand was used to great advantage in the movie, and it was very difficult to tell what was natural scenery and what was constructed set or even computer generated effects.
Set in the mythical land of Middle Earth, in an era of goblins and wizards, the evil Lord Sauron and his dark forces once again threaten to rule all. The fate of the world relies on who possesses the one ring, which holds unspeakable power. Lord Sauron created the ring out of the fiery depths of Doom Mountain years and years ago, but it was during a battle where Sauron was killed that the ring changed hands. The ring is lost once again only to be found by Gollum, a lowly creature that gets poisoned by its power. The ring is eventually stolen by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. And so, this is where the trilogy begins.....
As the film opens, Gandalf the Wizard (Ian McKellen) is visiting his old Hobbit friend, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). When Bilbo makes a daring announcement to a group of party guests, Gandalf realizes that Bilbo is in possession of a very important ring. Gandalf convinces Bilbo to give up the ring, and give it to the very young Frodo (Elijah Wood). When the secret of the ring is finally revealed to the old Wizard, Frodo is warned to leave the Shire at once. However, evil agents are already on their trail. Pursued by dark riders, the Hobbits are forced to team up with a mysterious stranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen). The reluctant adventurers make their way to Rivendell, a temporary safe haven, where a grand council decides the ring must be destroyed by returning it to the fire from which it was made. With reluctance, nine chosen companions embark on a most perilous quest.
The Director's Cut
It is not until you watch this Director's cut that you realize how much bigger-than-life this epic has become. The film becomes a totally fresh and new viewing experience mainly thanks to the film's cleverly reconstructed 15-minute opening, which is included in the addition of 30 minutes of footage that greatly flesh out the characters and bring more depth to the story. As many times as I have seen this film in its standard version, this new cut was an awe-inspiring experience for me. I'll never watch the standard version again.
The Lord Of The Rings: FOTR arrives in a brand new 4-disc edition housed inside an attractive book-like casing. The movie is spread across discs One and Two. This means that nearly 1:45 minutes into the film, you will need to switch to disc two in order to continue. The upside is that this enables the inclusion of four new audio commentaries as well as several audio formats including English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround and English DTS ES 6.1 Surround. The downside is that when you switch discs, you must go into the SETUP area and once again set your audio preferences. The bottom line is that you will not be able to watch an uninterrupted presentation of the film. Discs Three and Four contain The Appendices, Part I and II.
The added footage
What I am going to do now is break down the list of added footage for you, as well as including a handful of screenshots. Please note that most of this is from memory, and there is always the possibility I may be describing a scene that was already in the standard version. I think my memory is pretty good and that I will come very close to being pretty accurate. Also please realize that since a small amount of added footage comes through quick cuts, I may have missed a few minor additions.
Disc One
- In a newly reconstructed introduction to the film (and before the opening credits), we listen to added narration from Bilbo as he sits at his table working on his memoirs. We learn more about the Hobbits...their passions for food, planting and celebration. More importantly, we are introduced to the ring at a much earlier interval.
- During a fireworks display, Bilbo welcomes guests and hides from others as he has extended dialogue with Frodo.
- In the library. Gandalf reads more of the history of the ring, complete with added flashback.
- A party has Merry and Pippin dancing on a table as others talk about the war brewing beyond their borders.
- A beautiful sequence where in the woods just outside of the Shire, Sam and Frodo peer upon a group of wood-elves on their way to the harbor beyond the grey towers. Sam also complains about not being able to sleep amongst the roots.
- An extended sequence inside the Prancing Pony regarding Strider.
- Additional dialogue with Strider. The Hobbits talk amongst themselves as to whether they should trust Strider and if he really is a friend of Gandalf.
- A walk through a marsh filled with mosquitos (great rear channel effects here). Later, Strider sings beneath the light of the moon about a love he lost.
- Saruman consulting the "eye of Sauron" which tells him to "build an army worthy of Mordor."
- Frodo awakens after being stabbed by the blade of a Wraith. He is in a thicket surrounded by Troll statues.
- As the Wraiths chase Arwen Undómiel, they stop at a river crossing. One of the wraiths calls out to her, demanding she give up the halfling. (not certain if the wraith call was in the original version)
- A really cool sequence that takes place during the roundtable meet in Rivendell. As Frodo places the ring on the table, Borimor goes for it, claiming it is a gift to be used against Mordor. A spell is raised that literally shakes the mountains.
Disc Two
- A brand new sequence opens the second disc as Aragorn (formally known as Strider) visits the grave of his Mother as Elrond Peredhil reminds him of his destiny.
- Elrond bids farewell to the departing nine companions as the fellowship awaits the ring bearer.
- A short sequence upon a wintry mountain where Saruman responds to Gandalf, reminding him of the dangers of going into the Moria mines.
- A short dialogue sequence where Gandalf asks Frodo to help an old man. Gandalf asks the Hobbit how his shoulder is as both discover how powerful the influence of the ring is becoming. The wizard advises Frodo to only trust himself. We also learn that Gandalf is sensing impending danger inside the Moria mines that will ultimately test him.
- Another sequence has Gandalf becoming irate over not being able to find the words to open the doors of Durin that lead the way to the heart of Moria.
- Inside the mines of Mordor, against a steep cliff, Gandalf points his way down the chasms as he shows his companions the true wealth of Moria.
- A newly found passage into the great hall of the mines of Mordor. Gandalf speaks of the oncoming Balrog. The jump across the bridge is also greatly extended with a new set of stairs to cross and a much earlier arrival of a full-formed Balrog.
- As Frodo walks through the woods he hears additional calls of Galadriel, Lady of the Galadrhim. Gimli makes a very uncourteous remark about the lady after being captured by elves. Later, Aragorn tells Frodo that Gandalf's death was not in vain.
- The group is handed cloaks and food by the elves as well as parting advice. Galadriel gives gifts to each of the members. Gimli has a very unlikely request. Wait till you hear what he receives.
- As the group makes a short stop on shore, there is another sighting of Gollum in the water. Sam pleads to Frodo that he is truly his friend and wants to help. Boromir and Aragorn argue.
- An extended battle sequence between Aragorn and the head Orc.
- As Frodo embarks on his final journey of this installment, he remembers the words of Gandalf, who briefly appears in flashback.
Again, I must stress that all of this is from memory. Please be kind if I made any mistakes here. Fortunately, the added material can easily be identified by going into Select a Scene where asterisks indicate **new scene as well as **extended scene. Please note that I did not refer to this area prior to writing the above scenes.
How is the transfer?
To say that this is an absolutely flawless transfer and leave it at that would be sort of shortchanging this review -- but it would be the absolute truth. What we have here is an absolutely pristine image that is very close to Hi-Def. The transfer looks absolutely smooth and with extremely accurate colors -- especially in the facial flesh tones. Blacks are rock solid and the picture never becomes too sharp nor soft, giving this film a very natural beauty.
This DVD features both English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround and English DTS ES 6.1 Surround. Even though My system is limited to a 5.1 setup, it wasn't difficult to get totally immersed in the audio presentation. As I usually expect from most DTS tracks, the sound has a very spacial quality to it -- not sounding the least compressed. This is one hell of an aggressive mix with sound that is extremely accurate and detailed. The rear channels are nearly always active throughout, and there's tremendous LFE channel support that adds booming floor-shaking response. This is one of the strongest sounding LFE tracks in memory -- so strong in fact that I was very concerned about blowing out my subwoofer.
It really becomes difficult to define a transfer that is as beautiful as this one. Thus far, Attack Of The Clones has become the best DVD I have seen, thanks to its direct digital transfer. I was amazed to see that this film transfer looked almost as good. This tells you much about the effort New Line has put into making this DVD look flawless.
Special Features
As I sit here with four discs containing over 6 hours of material, I sort of hesitate to move on. What lies before me is over a full day's worth of review material devoted to one DVD package. I will do as thorough of a job as I can with this, but will mostly highlight what you can expect out of these supplements.
Disc One and Two
As you pop in the DVD, you are welcomed at a Hobbit table where a book, The Fellowship of The Ring opens to reveal a page of menu selections.
Disc One contains the first part of the Director's cut which runs close to 1hr. 45 minutes. The side break is at the 1:45 mark where Pippin inquires "when are we goin'?!". A black screen comes up prompting you to continue to Disc Two.
From the Special Features menu you can select any one of four commentaries. These commentaries feature: Track One: The Directors and Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Track Two: The Design Team: Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, John Howe, Dan Hennah, Chris Hennah and Tania Rodger. Track Three: The Production/Post Production Team: Barrie Osborne, Mark Ordesky, Andrew Lesnie (and a approximately 11 more) Track Four: The Cast: Eliijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monoghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee and Sean Bean.
What is very unique here is that each supplemental audio commentary track is accompanied by a subtitle identifying each different speaker.
Now I must apologize in advance. Commentaries are usually the last thing I review. After spending a day writing this one, I am going to briefly touch upon just one of the commentaries. That commentary is of the cast. First, you will be very happy to learn that all of them are here together in one room -- except for Christopher Lee whose tracks seemed to have been recorded separate. Two things of immediate interest here. First, it's a very tame group effort for such a bunch of young cast members. Second, it seems all of these individuals are watching the added DVD material for the very first time as many of them seem to be in awe of what they are watching. McKellen talks about a windy day in the shire and the problem of keeping his hat on. The group never hesitates to point out where each scene was filmed -- especially when an actor crosses from an outdoor set onto a soundstage. You'll also hear the cast talk about "BK", who is Elijah's 3'4" double, used in scenes where height comparison was needed. Christopher Lee talks about some of the falls he had to do, being knocked around quite often (but fortunately not from any great height). A wraith chase through the woods leading the Hobbits to the Ferry is not so fondly recalled here. The boys had an awful time in the pouring rain not only from shoes that went flying off...but by the time they reached the bottom of the hill, they were so exhausted they had to be carried back up.
I realize I have merely scratched the surface on the commentaries, but I think all of you understand that I just cannot rewatch 3 hours of material to give you the type of review you want.
Disc Three
Here begins what is called The Appendices. They are spread out across Discs Three and Four. Let's begin with Disc Three which is titled Part One: From Book To Vision
As in the rear pages of the Tolkien books, these Appendices give the back stories and origins of how the mythology of Middle Earth was created. Part One (Disc Three) has 2.5 hours worth of documentary material and Part Two has 3.5 hours of additional documentary material.
Let's begin with Disc Three: Part One: From Book to Vision
We begin with an Introduction from director Peter Jackson who not only welcomes you aboard, but lays out exactly what you can expect from the two supplemental discs before you. In fact, he gives you several options of how you can best navigate through all of the enclosed material.
J.R.R. Tolkien - creator of Middle Earth begins with Peter Jackson talking about the sheer wealth of information that Tolkien brought to his books. From there, we get a thorough background history on Tolkien who became an orphan at the very early age of 12. His Mother actually was the person who inspired him to read, and after her death, he was committed to continue with his literary studies. We learn of his studies of the English language at Oxford, as well as his involvement in the World War where most of the suffering he witnessed had a profound affect on his later writings. Tolkien Biography author Humphrey Carpenter tells us that Tolkien wrote the first installment of the book almost blindly, not knowing what its structure would be, practically shaping it all as he went along. The documentary also explores the phenomenon of the books, thanks to its underlying themes of human existence. (length: approx. 22 minutes)
From Book to Script reveals how much Jackson is a real fan of the books, first reading the trilogy at the age of 18. Director of Photography Andrew Lesnie agrees -- this was the first book that really taught him how powerful words could be. We go down the line in interview after interview with cast members and filmmakers like Sean Bean (Boromir), Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and others who talk about their first experiences reading the books. The subject of proposing a three-film deal to New Line Cinema is discussed here, with added comments from filmmakers and cast members such as Christopher Lee (Saruman), who was actually in favor of the decision. The team responsible for shaping the script into a three film story talk a little about what the process was like. The cast members talk about the incredible writing process of the film. John Rys-Davies (Gimli) jokes about revisions of the script that were slipped under his door the night before a shoot. One of the most difficult characters for Jackson and his team was Arwen 'Evenstar' Undómiel, a character that had a very small role in the book series. In order to make her a character with some weight, more material had to be added for her. The scenes around the table of Elrond was also difficult to shoot because of the amount of material that was in the book. We also learn how the evil encased within the ring had to be animated -- given its own character. (length: approx. 20 minutes)
Visualizing the story contains a wealth of storyboards, animatics and animation to film comparisons. Here we go...
Storyboards and Pre-viz: Making words into images presents Jackson, his effects and miniatures team as they discuss the amount of detail that was involved in order to shoot the film as fluidly as possible. Every single frame in this film was story boarded by Peter. This greatly helped the visual and effects team. Jackson took the storyboard process one step further by creating small models with little figurines so that camera shots could be more accurately conveyed. (length: approx. 13 minutes)
There are three early storyboards that are really cool to watch -- especially for the fact that they play as individual movies set against music and dialogue. In addition to an alternate prologue (done with storyboards and CGI), there are two abandoned scenes that have been cleverly recreated for this DVD. Very cool!
In Pre-Viz Animatics we watch how computer graphics laid out the blueprint for what was to be filmed, including specific camera angles. The scenes presented here are Gandalf rides to Orthanc and The Stairs of Khazad-Dum.
Animatic to film comparisons give you a split-screen look at how two specific scenes look from original storyboard concept to final print.
Finally, in this section, Bag End set test is a very nice treat to watch. In a yet unfinished wooden set, film production and set design members partake in a sort of blocking test. It's funny to watch Jackson scurry around the set (acting like Bilbo) as someone holds up a head on a stick that represents Gandalf. (length: approx. 6 minutes)
Let's go to Designing and filming Middle Earth...
Designing and building Middle Earth takes us through original book illustrations of trolls, Wizards and Goblins that create such a believable environment that you think it was all once real. We take a look at a team of designers who, before the script was finished, put together models and drawings that portrayed a totally believable world inserted in shots of actual New Zealand locations where the stories originated from. There are some very interesting home movies of the models being built, as well as the many drawings that were offered for feedback before sculpturing began. This is a very extensive featurette that goes far more into depth than I could describe here, but it represents the huge collaborative effort of creating the world of Middle Earth. (length: approx. 41 minutes)
Weta Workshop takes us to Camperdown Studios, a place that Elijah Wood describes as "Willy Wonka's chocolate factory without the candy". Everything in the film that you saw was made here -- all the armor, all the weapons, the creatures and miniatures. I think you will be mesmerized as you weave through the very tight shop filled with an awesome amount of miniature models (that aren't so miniature). Some of the miniatures were the size of soundstages. All the masks, and yes, hairy feet were created here as well. My favorite part was watching the creation of the Cave Troll made out of plaster and skin. We also learn how impossible it is to create armor, due to all its complexities. (length: approx. 43 minutes)
Costume Design introduces us to Costume Designer Nglia Dickson and her 40 seamstresses that created the costumes for the film. Nglia talks about how huge and complex the project was, being very thankful that a lot of designs were already in place before she came aboard. I was absolutely amazed to look at footage of a warehouse lined with rows upon rows of costumes. With original concept drawings in hand, Nglia takes us through each set of characters and how costumes (and their colors) were specifically designed for their race and personality. (length: approx. 12 minutes)
There are two design galleries that represent the peoples and realms of Middle Earth. There is such a wealth of information here presented as a slide show that I cannot go through it all in one sitting. Let me just say that it is chock-full of original artist renderings from enemies such as Sauron, The Cave Troll and Orcs to the characters that make up the fellowship. Then there are original drawings of all the realms of Middle Earth that include (among others) The Shire, Bree, Moria and Rivendell. So much material here and so little time.
Middle Earth Atlas lays out a large map of the entire landscape as you use your remote to pick a location and see scenes from the film that show how that area was involved in the journey.
New Zealand as Middle Earth lets you use your remote to pick particular locations on a map and see where they were filmed. For instance, Rivendell was filmed in Wellington, with its beautiful forests and landscapes. We watch how sets were built against these backdrops.
Disc Four
Okay, time to move on to Disc Four, Part Two: From Vision to Reality
Once again we are treated to an introduction to all the material on this disc. Surprisingly, that introduction comes courtesy of Elijah Wood (Frodo) who tells us that this portion of the DVD covers everything from the film's production right on through the film's release. He also gives you some advice on how to properly navigate your way through the material.
Filming The Fellowship of the Ring is divided into four main areas. Let us take a look at them....
The Fellowship of the Cast, as you would expect, takes us through the casting process. Since none of these actors had worked together before, Jackson talks about being nervous once all of them got off the plane in New Zealand, meeting each other for the first time. In separate interviews, the cast members talk about leaving home for an extended period and meeting each other for the first time. You will have a big fat smile on your face as you hear the story of how Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) first met. Ian McKellen talks about taking a year out of his life, away from home, making new friends. It turned out to be a kind of Boy Scout adventure for the men -- a real boys club. There are some great stories here told by the actors themselves, including one about Sean Astin (Samwise Gangee) being very nervous about a helicopter ride. Another story involves John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) taking a small group of 12 out to a restaurant and ordering enough food for 40 people. I love to hear Billy Boyd tell this story while doing a dead-on impersonation of the actor. This is simply just a fun collection of individual stories from all the cast members that truly show how much they love one another. (length: approx. 34 minutes)
I heard the news today oh, boy! A Day In The Life of a Hobbit starts at 5am and takes us through the makeup and prosthetics that go into making a Hobbit. We see how the feet are attached, as well as the ears which absorb sound and make it difficult to hear. There are some really fun home movie footage of cast members in makeup eating and relaxing between film takes. We are also introduced to Elijah's smaller version of himself as we dwell into the art of staging a scene to show proper size proportions. (length: approx. 13 minutes)
Cameras in Middle-Earth is a very lengthy look at how so many units of camera crew managed to shoot the entire epic in a remarkably short period of time. Jackson depended on the people that ran these units to be in places he could not. The documentary takes us through the many realms of the film as we visit location after location, watching how each segment was shot. Christopher Lee talks about the unusual amount of takes that Peter Jackson wanted from him, wanting to get words and mannerisms exactly right. Cast members recall trudging through the marshes where the water was absolutely freezing cold while Peter Jackson was by his trailer giggling about it all. It's interesting to watch how outdoor location shots of Rivendale had to be duplicated for later shots done inside of a studio. Lighting was a major importance here. Jackson talks about filming on the snowy mountaintops with helicopters bringing the entire cast and crew aboard...all except Sean Bean (Boromir) who refused to fly, and instead took a ski lift to the top. As the featurette draws to a close, we watch Jackson coordinate the huge fight that comes at the end of the film. It was an incredibly long shoot in blazing hot weather, and there's some great behind-the-scenes footage here that captures it all. (length: approx. 50 minutes)
Production Photos contain about 72 stills that were taken on location.
Let's take a look at the section devoted to Visual Effects...
Scale simply deals with heights. There's a relationship of size between Hobbits and Humans. This featurette looks at things such as scale compositing, forced perspective, and creating sets that properly portray size. There's also a very interesting look at the big rigs used in the film and the small people that drive them. These big rigs were used to make the Hobbit characters seem smaller. (length: approx. 15 minutes)
Miniatures begins with Big-atures. Miniature Director of Photography Alex Funke talks about the importance of using miniatures rather than creating them digitally. These miniatures models became the basis for some of the most jaw-dropping visual sequences of the film. The bigger the miniature, the more realistic that model is going to look on screen. We take a look at much of the miniatures used in the film and how they were combined with the live action sequences. (length: approx. 16 minutes)
After you are through watching the above featurette, you can browse through hundreds of photos that make up the miniatures gallery. Presented in slide-show fashion, just about every realm from the film is represented here.
Weta Digital takes us through the post- production process of adding visual effects to the film. This specially built facility was built to bypass huge costs, in order to create all the digital effects. Of course, you can be assured that you will be shown lots of digital computer effects in this segment, including the creation of the squid creature that grabs Frodo. My favorite part? Taking a look at how the original wraith kings (as seen through Frodo's invisibility) was shot. You see the live actors reaching for what would be Frodo. Coool! (length: approx. 24 minutes)
Let's look at Post Production: Putting it all together....
Editorial: Assembling an Epic introduces us to Editors John Gilbert and Peter Skarratt who talk about the immense size of the film project, and the huge amount of footage that ended up in the editing room. There were eight units producing footage daily, and it was up to the editors to sort through 5 million feet of film, bringing it down to 4 million feet. One of the most difficult scenes to edit was Arwen's horse chase scene. There were just hours and hours of footage with horses that had to be trimmed down to just a few minutes. There's also discussion about the scenes that were deleted from the film early on and now being reinserted in this DVD. (length: approx. 12 minutes)
You couldn't ask for anything better than this! Anyone interested in filmmaking will indeed cherish Editorial Demonstration: The Council of Elrond, which consists of 36 different takes and illustrates the challenges faced by the editorial team. Six windows play above the final cut of the film. Each of those six windows will highlight a take that was selected by the editor as the one used in the film.
Digital Grading talks about shooting footage on location, which looks all too real, and nudging it up a bit -- adding elements that make it look sort of unworldly. This is done by taking a film negative, scanning it, and then manipulating the image with a variety of tools. Once you add colors and highlights it gets scanned back onto the negative. Supervising Digital Colourist Peter Doyle takes us through raw footage and shows how individual sequences were manipulated. Graded and ungraded images are compared inside-by-side windows. (length: approx. 12 minutes)
Let's take a look at Sound and Music...
The soundscapes of Middle-Earth is all about the sound design of the film. There was a wealth of sound effects that had to be created in the studio. Using high-tech equipment, a small team of artists created sounds that transported the audience to Middle Earth. There are several examples here how sounds were created for many of the key sequences. You'll be surprised how plungers and rubber floor mats became very useful. The biggest challenge was creating the screams of the ring wraiths. How was it done? It was actually the screams of Fran Walsh. (length: approx. 12 minutes)
Music for Middle-Earth introduces us to composer Howard Shore who wrote the music that guided our emotions throughout the film. Shore worked on the film for nearly two years. We watch the composer on the soundstage of Skywalker Ranch (where I personally stood not more than 1 month ago), where he conducts the orchestra. We learn how a dialect coach helped put together a song sequence sung by Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn). What surprised me is that he made up the tune himself and was simply looking for the words. The Abbey Road studio is the setting for a chorus of young boys that added the sweet, emotional passages to the film. Later, shore talks about writing a score as if it were an Opera, bringing a certain kind of grandeur to the soundtrack. (length: approx. 12 minutes)
Finally...
The Road goes ever on is the perfect closing featurette as it looks at the promotional aspects of the film, particularly the premiers where cast members were treated like royalty by their adoring fans. There's some quick footage from Elijah's home movies as the cast arrives at a French premiere. Featured here are hordes of fans, grand speeches of thanks and lots of flying confetti. Peter Jackson talks about the film being more than just a job -- it was a breathtaking experience where friends came together and created something really special. (length: approx. 7 minutes)
DVD-ROM content basically takes you to New Line's website that promises updated Lord of the Rings content.
Easter Eggs? Check out the reviews on other websites. After spending hours on this review I just did not have the strength to search. I do know there are 2 eggs hidden somewhere in this package.
What is not here?
With all the added material that is available here it is utterly surprising to find a lack of promotional materials. There are no trailers nor TV spots nor poster stills. Forgiveable? I suppose so.
Final Thoughts
Seriously folks, my head is spinning. I must have spent 10 hours on this review between watching the film itself and going through two discs of supplemental material. By far, this is the most extensive project I have ever worked on -- and it's no wonder -- Lord Of The Rings is the most elaborate cinematic epic ever, and the journey is just beginning.
One might look at this 4-disc package as being complete overkill for the average fan. Fortunately, it isn't the average fan that this set is geared towards. This is a visual encyclopedia that shows every aspect of the film's journey from pre-production to promotion.
Most of all, this set is the product of a huge amount of care and dedication that started with Peter Jackson and his team who provided this wealth of supplemental material right on down to New Line Cinema that has produced one of the most beautiful transfers ever to be seen on DVD. It is that reason that I let myself age a full day while writing this review. Consider it a homage to the magnificence of this set!
Release Date: November 12, 2002
When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
While he may have been an untewrtesting diversion in the book, he is one of the many aspects of LoTR that would make it a bad film. films need a lot more focus, and a long section that doesn't really affect the plot would put viewers off in droves.
Heaven forbid that people expand their education, or that a popular movie offer an in-depth look at what goes into filming on this scale. Even if they go to show that making a movie is no different than day-to-day living in some areas, that's still something I, at least, didn't know before. Education, instruction and de-hyping Hollywood sounds like positive goals, to me. I'm looking forward to it.
If you don't care, or if you already knew, then do what a lot of people are going to do anyway: Get a copy from a friend who shelled out the extra bucks for the Director's Cut. (Or get the Cut and don't watch the extra footage.) No one's forcing you to watch it, just to pay for it, and not necessarily even that.
This now concludes our broadcast day.
Although I don't like the review itself - I think it is a bit dry and not very journalistic
Unlike, of course, the fine prose found on Slashdot.
God Damn You All To Hell!!!
So this is why the HTF has turned to soup this afternoon. Thank goodness I read Ron's review when he posted it a couple of days ago. Now, if you wouldn't mind, we've got some seriously unimportant film trivia to talk about.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
Of course Jackson isn't happy.
If he'd had his own way then there'd be rat monkey's running about all over the place, various characters would have flip top heads and Frodo's weapon of choice would be a lawnmower. Damn right Jackson doesn't call it the 'Driector's Cut'.
*Those who know of Jackson's previous work will know exactly what I'm waffling about.
"Dre don't get as high as me.... I'm Cheech and Chong" - Snoop Dogg
Can slashdot post the Google cached page? Actually, how do you make Google cache a page? Would'nt this be a better approach to just posting the URL, post the Google cached URL too. So many times these webservers are not fine tuned enough to handle the /. effect.
Good grief. It may not be "journalistic", but is it in English?
And if I never see Pippin and an Orc doing that to Bill the Pony again it'll be too soon.
Best Slashdot Co
He explained it something to the order of, it makes it seem like his vision was not carried out by the theatrical release.
But by cutting him out the film, they miss out on releasing the CD "Tom Bombadil Sings for His Lady!"
Now on Amazon.com at 20% off!
Does anyone know if these are game-engine, or pre-rendered?
use constant PERL_IS_BROKEN => $] >= 5.006;
Would add to the Gollum/Frodo thing at the end though, wouldn't it? To paraphrase Brain Dead...
Sam: "You ate Frodo!"
Gollum: "Not all of him..."
Cheers,
Ian
(Brain Dead is also called Dead Alive in some places)
Director's cut doesn't really give more gredits to the original book. Few more minutes to the movies extends it to cover about 0.1% more of the book. Sure there are more great actions scenes and other unseen 'stuff', but what's the point?
:)
If you want to see a bit more action the director's cut is made for you, but if you want to know more about the orinigal story, then don't spend your money on the movie - JUST BUY THE BOOK
Why did this get modded to Flamebait? It was just a reference to Jackson's Brain Dead. sheesh.
"Dre don't get as high as me.... I'm Cheech and Chong" - Snoop Dogg
Is the realease date. It's also the release date for Star Wars II, AoTC. Wait a second. They're doing it again!
It's a conspiracy to get the geeks away from their jobs.
Yes, my girlfriend is a BitchX
oops, sorry, my bad. You're right. Ok, why did my original post get modded flamebait? I figured Braindead was one of those little known 'cult' films so those who've seen it would instantly start to envision LOTR crossed with Brain Dead :)
"Dre don't get as high as me.... I'm Cheech and Chong" - Snoop Dogg
So much for my mod points in this discussion...and no I'm not smoking crack, I just have rather disjointed thought processes.
Anywhoo,
I just hope LOTR is not going to turn into something like the Aliens series where:
You have the original.
Then the directors cut
Then the Extended Edition
Then the Anniv. Edition
Then the Extended Special Edition.
Quite frankly, everything after the directors cut just made Aliens into an even longer movie.
The thing about the Directors Cut version it *The movie made *PERFECT* sense if you'd seen the first one.
I got LOTR as a gift --*coff*bullshit*coff*-- for my son, knowing, that this extended edition was coming a few more months down the road.
When I have extra income (/sound of coffee being snerked thru noses) I might get this set...or, heck, borrow it from a friend who does. I've got a few who were waiting for *this specific* edition.
Errr...decisions, decisions....
Have you read the moderator guidelines? Well, have you, PUNK? (and I want a Karma: Gnarly option)
You don't mean to say that Slashdotters are actually reading the article before posting, do you..?
Q.
From the summary:
the whole thing is reviewed dvd by dvd
From the actual article:
Please note that most of this is from memory, and there is always the possibility I may be describing a scene that was already in the standard version.
Donate free food to the hungry at The Hunger site.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews2/lotrfellows hip4disca.html
Time Benzedrino. Uhhh. Can't remember the rest.
Best Slashdot Co
...please be advised that all posts beginning "In other news..." are inherently lame.
Do you all think it's time for /. to have its own cach instead of all these google cache getarounds? It seems lots of sites have been shut down because of the /. effect. Some of the sites being linked to are operated by small-budget webmasters who can't afford to sudden pay $500 in a month for hosting because /. linked to them.
eTrade SUCKS
Knock,knock people - if it can hold up to the traffic to get us to 150 posts it isn't going to get slashdotted.
Maybe the server won't be overwhelmed, but it is possible that the bandwidth allotted to a site may be exceeded. Some smaller hosters allow X gigs of "traffic" a la yahoo and geocities, etc.
Delayed slashdotting _is_ possible.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
after reading that review man ohhh MAN are my pants tight. -Nasty
I agree we didn't get enough Gimli, and I'm as eager as anyone to see more of his experience with Galadriel (and I hear it's there, but I'm not reading the spoilers). But we get glimpses of him: his no-nonsense attempt to destroy the ring at the Council; his firey resolve at Balin's tomb; his (not enough, but observable) booty-kicking in the end battle. It's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Yes, he went for the easy laugh in Lothlorien with the "eyes of a fox - oop!" thing, but that's not entirely out of character with the dwarves' and elves' assessment of each other, even though it wasn't in the book.
-- http://frobnosticate.com
Experience the originals...one last time. .
Of course, the "Special Edition" theatrical re-release will just have some pointless new CG, and the "restored" scenes with Bombadil in a kilt talking like Butterfly McQueen, and it'll act to pave the way for the "prequels," which will in turn reduce Tolkein's vision to an insulting merchandising ploy and...oops. Wrong icon.
--
THE GOOD HUMOR MAN CAN ONLY BE PUSHED SO FAR
Bart Simpson on chalkboard in episode 2F18
Nah, we just wanted to look at the pictures.
Due to excessive load on the server. This board will be down for the next few minutes. We apologize for any inconvience this may have caused. Oh wait... they say for the next few minutes? more like the rest of the day... and the /. banditos strike again....
Slashdot: +1
Poor Sap's Website: -1000
Looks like we'll just have to wait for the DVD to come out to see the cut scenes...
If you're looking here for something insightful or thought provoking, you're probably looking in the wrong place.
Since we have a bunch of LotR fans here, perhaps somebody could answer a question that has been bugging me after the first movie. In the movie, Count Dooku^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Saruman merely asks Gandalf to join Sauron's side. In the book, he asks Gandalf to join *him* as a force independent of Sauron. In other words, the guy who betrays both sides in the book only betrays one in the movie. Why was this change made? It hardly seemed necessary, whereas other changes have some arguments in their favor.
Well the slashdottd review isn't the only one out there. (Glad I read it yesterday. (Maybe I should sumbit stories more often.)
Here are a couple more reviews of the extended DVD.
This review is a pretty good rundown of the DVDs.
and
This one is a rundown of Xoanon's review and there is a nice Question and answer format at the end where fans of, well, the Fan Site write in with their questions. Tons of SPOILERS --you're warned.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
-- The Doctor, "Doctor
The
Too bad they missed this. Oh well...maybe it'll be on the director's cut for TT....
Quod scripsi, scripsi.
...short, with hairy feet...
...it's Peter Jackson.
Tolkein always insisted that LoTR was six books, often published in three volumes.
No he didn't. Au contraire -- he wrote it as one book and was most miffed that it was published as three separate volumes. That was forced on him by the publishers, who were afraid the public wouldn't go for such a lengthy tome. (Depending on which account you read, this either happened right at the beginning or when Ace Books published it in America.)
This summer I got to see Director Robert Meyer Burnett at Convergence 2002 in Minneapolis. Robert directed one of the best Shatner movies of all time. "Free Enterprise". But as of late he spends a lot of his time directing the documentaries you see in DVD extras.
Everything in the special edition is new. No extras are repeated. And Robert says this is the best work to date.
His other work includes discs like Tron. Which had some of the best interviews with cast put on a disc. It feels almost like a reunion.
Out of note, if you had DirecTV for the last month they have been playing the Special Edition of LoTR on PPV. Sans extras of course. Both DishNetwork and DirecTV also had the High Definition version of LoTR theatical version on PPV as well.
Will it play on a computer that doesn't run Windows?
I recently purchased the "Full Screen Edition" of LotR:FotR only to find out that it won't play with ANY of the media players for Linux. Having browsed through the portion of the DVD that is recorded as an iso9660 filesystem, I suspect that it won't play on a Mac, either. I've have checked the packaging carefuly and there are NO indications on the outside that this is the case.
Since I am, and will remain, Microsoft-free, I'm returning the DVD to Wal-Mart because, as far as I'm concerned, it's a defective product.
utter rubbish
I do believe that DVDfile.com Had their review up a day or so before Home Theater Forum did. If you want to see consistant balanced reviews check them out.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Go to blockbuster, get one, come home and try it. Unless your media player has specific support, it won't play because of CSS encoding. Examining it manually won't help - you need to decode it. And good luck finding a decent legal player for Linux - that is what the DeCSS stuff is all about. We want to be able to write our own software to play DVDs, and Hollywood doesn't like the fact that the same technology which we need to play DVDs also allows people to rip and encode them in any format of choice.
Macs work because Apple has been properly licensed and can decode them. Some Linux machines work because the code is available if you know where to look. Unfortunately doing it is a bit of a headache because most people who have done it are not willing to talk about it or give detailed technical support... (Yes, that list includes me.)
Gotta like the url they are bouncing us back to:
l es -its-going-to-slashdot?s=&threadid=101554
http://slashdot.org/slashdot-should-cache-artic
Why this movie is so popular?
I know all the mods, whipped up into a LotR fervor will mod me down to troll for it, but I dont care as long as someone tells me why.
Once you get past the hype... this movie was just a bunch of guys, running from place to place, killing bad guys. Basically, it seems to me to be on the same level as Scorpion King, except it doesn't have beautiful and scantily clad women all over the place; they replaced those, mistakably, with smoldering bondage kings and smelly goblins.
And before you say that I simply look for movies with boobies and booties, I will point out that the cheap thrill is exactly what makes me NOT like LotR.
Thanks for your time. Please respond to either correct me or ratify me.
I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
Should I go read the books first and spoil the movie or should I go watch the movie first then read the books?
that the theater release was butchered. No, I don't mean it didn't match the book in every detail, I mean it was just plain butchered in totally obvious and annoying ways.
I loved the characters, the look and the feel of the world. But it was choopy in two ways: 1) locally with bad edits, and 2) globally with parts of the story that were obviously filmed then cut out.
I can't remember specific examples of #1 right now, but I remember scenes in which people stood up, there was a cut, and suddenly they were halfway across a room.
The example of #2 that stands out is when Gimli is entering the forest and talking about the witch that lives there and bragging how she'll never enchant him. This is the setup for the punchline where he actually falls in (courtly) love with her and adopts her as his Lady. But the punchline was cut, leaving the setup hanging.
(The setup scene couldn't be cut because it ended with him turning and seeing the arrows of the elves pointing at him and you couldn't cut that out.)
The first time I saw it, I speculated that they'd cut a half hour of stuff out for the theater and it turns out I was prescient. It just felt like they got the the elven woods and realized they were making a movie that was too long and then turned around and started hacking.
One thing that I imagine isn't fixed is the lame ending. Talk about a confusing letdown! It should've been a cliffhanger: the men run back to the camp and the hobbits and a boat are gone. As they look around and decide what to do, the audience sees the orcs in the distance with two hobbits over their shoulders but we can't tell which two. Then we see the empty boat drifting down the river. THE END.
Obviously, it's not a true cliffhanger in the sense that people either don't know or couldn't find out what happens next, but it'd have left with people saying "AWWWWW" in an excited, "you can't do this to me" tone instead of the "HUH?" that I heard and felt.
The mistakes database site doesn't list it, but the ring keeps jumping on and off its chain in the final scenes. As I remember, it switched about four times in the scenes where Borimor confronts him through where Aragorn refuses to take the ring.
I assume you refuse to use Microsoft software dur to anti-competitive behavior and shoddy quality.
Then you shop at Wal-Mart.
>
YES there will be a 5 disk version in November
It has everything the 4 disk version has plus:
Additonal Products:
Booklet (12 Pages)
Magazine - 1. Official Movie Magazine
Trading Cards
Bookends
Disc 5:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - LORD OF THE RINGS: BEHIND THE MOVIE
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame - 1.33
Number of Discs/Layers: Single Side - Dual Layer
Audio: Stereo 2.0 - English
O and it costs almost twice as much.. but has a nicer case
EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
i agree with this thread's parent however, that i was horribly disappointed with the movie's portrayal of Gimli, as he's truely a gentleman as JT had written, but the movie did a very poor job of portraying this. The movie also did a fine job of villanizing Boremir (sp?) as well me thinks, especially being that he was supposed to be corrupted by the ring, not sleezy from the get-go...
-tid242
With a few exceptions, secrecy is deeply incompatible with democracy and with science. --Carl Sagan
Actually, the blade was made specifically to combat Angmar, King of the Nazgul.
And Aragorn is descended from one of Morgoth's ancient enemies. Sauron was but one of Morgoth's servants.
I only run Debian GNU/Linux, no other OS. I have the widescreen version of LotR:FotR. LotR plays perfectly here on Linux using Mplayer, Ogle, and Xine. If you believe your DVD is defective, return it for a new one.
I don't know what movie you were watcing but the one I saw showed Saruman chanting a bunch of gobledygook in some unknown tounge. Then he gestured with arms wide, facing the mountains. Then the camera "flew" up to the clouds and out to Caradhas, where you could still hear the whisper of Saruman's words. Then the storm worsens and lightning strikes the cliff above the trail, bringing down the small avalanche of snow blocking the trail. As if that wasn't enough of a clue, Gandalf even utters, "Saruman" after seeing the effect of the storm. And if THAT wasn't enough of a clue, Saruman even uttered beforehand about what Gandalf might have to resort to if he finds the pass blocked. I don't know how much more of a clue you need that Saruman caused the blockage of Caradhas.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Lisa: Your collecting days are over, Collector.
Collector: [pulls out a phaser] Stop right there. I have here the only working phaser ever built. It was fired only once, to keep William Shatner from making another album.
Notice that they are now redirecting requests to .
HA HA HA!
"In the film, it is Saruman who conjures the storm that defeats their efforts." typical /.er, doesn't read and just kneejerks.
Did anyone else notice the redirect that they set up on the "review" link ? I like it. Maybe Slashdot _should_ cache the articles just like the irate webmasters say...
>|<*:=
I have read the books twice, but I found the movie lacking. It seemed as if Jackson, in order to meet length requirements, cut out all of the scenes that made you feel for the characters. I was just wondering if anyone else thought that the movie was distinctly lacking in character development?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but nevertheless I know of several people who, having not read the books, couldn't feel anything for the characters and just took it as a movie about some "short people going around and stabbing things".
--Matt