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Lord of the Rings News from New Zealand

Posted by michael on from the just-a-few-more-days dept.

wonton_mein writes "The New Zealand Herald is doing some daily coverage of the LOTR - TTT. Can't wait for Dec. 18."

181 comments

  1. good job~=/1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That movie is going to be so bad-ass...and it transcends all boundaries. I know many non-geeks who are as excited to see it as me. Good job Peter Jackson!!!!

  2. Broad I Guess... by Grip3n · · Score: 5, Informative

    For the new LOTR:TTT Trailer seen on TV with MAJOR SPOILERS (ents, winged nazgul, ending of Battle of Helms Deep), head here (quicktime):

    Large Size
    Medium Size
    Small Size

    --
    To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
    1. Re:Broad I Guess... by LucidityZero · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The REAL problem with the trailers was showing Gandalf in it! I have read the books many times myself, but most of my friends have not. All of them were asking, "Does Gandalf come back?" after the first movie ended. I lied and told them, "No." to make it more exciting for them, but instead they ruin my whole plan in the trailers!

      Was this not given any foresight?

      --
      Sig.i>
    2. Re:Broad I Guess... by Spy+Hunter · · Score: 5, Informative

      For a Linux player that can play these Sorensen files (finally), along with practically every other movie file format in existence, head here:

      MPlayer

      --
      main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
    3. Re:Broad I Guess... by trotski · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Spoilers?!?

      If you haven't read the book, you shouldn't see the movie. So if some of this stuff is a spoiler to you YOU DESERVE IT I've said this a thousand times... watching this movie without reading the books will RUIN the experience. Don't miss out on some of the greatest literature of the 20th century, read the book(s) now before it's too late!

      --

      "Entropy is the bad-guy, and he is everywhere"
    4. Re:Broad I Guess... by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 5, Funny

      Gee, you don't think the fact that Ian Mckellen has second billing in the film might be a bit of a tip-off?

    5. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sauron compels them to ruin your plans, for his own evil purposes, you poor lying bastard.

    6. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Your experience will not be ruined if you havn't read the books yet. Actually it will probably be enhanced because you don't have to sit there and realize all the differences between the screen adaptation and the books. Oh one more thing...to call LOTR some of the greatest literature of the 20th century...come on my good man! Good? Yes. Great...no.

    7. Re:Broad I Guess... by t_pet422 · · Score: 0

      I COMPLETELY agree! I recently bought the new 4-dvd fellowship of the rings, and was watching it with one of my roomates. He (who has not read the book) kept asking me questions about the story and I kept having answers. He even asked me, "how do you know so much more about the story than I do?" and I said, "because I've read the book, and everything is explained in so much more detail." If you read the book, you'll have such a deep understanding of the movie, it will make the movie so much more exciting for you. Seriously people, read the book, it's worth the thousand+ pages.

    8. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong....

    9. Re:Broad I Guess... by wheany · · Score: 4, Insightful

      watching this movie without reading the books will RUIN the experience.

      No, it seems reading the books will ruin the movie experience. The most vocal whiners have been people who have read the books. I was going to read the books after seeing the first movie, but then I read all the whining and nit-picking from people that had read the books and thought I don't want to become like that.

    10. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, he might have been shown in a flashback sequence, voice over, etc.

      Posting anon cause I don't want to admit I'm a dumbass

    11. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Man, that would have been such a lame rip-off of Obi-Wan from StarWars!

    12. Re:Broad I Guess... by sckeener · · Score: 2

      I do not know about that. I prefer to read the book after having seen the movie so I do not ruin the movie and the book.
      Though I've had this fail for 2 movies/books. The movie "Silence of the Lambs" was better than the book. Ninth gate was a stripped down version of "The Club Dumas" by Arturo Perez-Reverte. If you saw the movie first, the book was a disappointment. If you read the book first, the movie was a major disappointment.

      --
      "Only one thing, is impossible for god: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet." Mark Twain
    13. Re:Broad I Guess... by Aragorn+DeLunar · · Score: 1

      The entirely truthful response, used by Sir Ian McKellen himself, is, "Gandalf the Grey is gone forever."

      --
      Cynicism, like dogmatism, can be an excuse for intellectual laziness. - Susan Shirk
    14. Re:Broad I Guess... by _xeno_ · · Score: 2, Funny
      That's what I used on my brother, who asked the question (even though he claims he was "reading the books") after the ending of "Fellowship of the Rings."

      Except he caught that I was mincing words and then asked "what about Gandalf?" So ... oh well.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    15. Re:Broad I Guess... by tjowatonna · · Score: 1

      and honestly, a really lame trailer at that. The trailer for the Fellowship was waaaay better.

    16. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you know that if you chew on a piece of aluminum foil for couple of minutes, you'll get high?

      You know, I followed your advice! Unfortunatly, all I got was a bunch of aluminum foil stuck between my teeth and I'm not high at all!

      You sir, are an idiot!

    17. Re:Broad I Guess... by mwmurphy · · Score: 1

      From your sig...you've been published on Slashdot? Congrats...wait for the royalty cheques to roll in. I submitted a good one on how wearing glasses trounces your chances with the ladies but it got rejected, ironically. Maybe there are some hot babe editors...

      --
      - Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss News
    18. Re:Broad I Guess... by pogen · · Score: 2
      I disagree. My sister, an English Lit. snob, had never read the books because she thought they were just pulpy fantasy books for geeks. I took her to see Fellowship. She immediately asked to borrow the first book, and now she's geeking out over the trilogy in a way that puts me to shame. Example: She wants to get in touch with her "inner elf" by learning Elvish.

      Seriously, she used to make fun of people like this. And it was the movie that paved the way.

    19. Re:Broad I Guess... by Planesdragon · · Score: 2

      If you haven't read the book, you shouldn't see the movie. So if some of this stuff is a spoiler to you YOU DESERVE IT I've said this a thousand times... watching this movie without reading the books will RUIN the experience. Don't miss out on some of the greatest literature of the 20th century, read the book(s) now before it's too late!

      The Lord of the Rings was, at its time, groundbreaking and innovative. But it was still badly written and poorly designed.

      The climax of the entire story happens less than halfway through the final book, and is done via the predestined actions of a minor character. Most of the really good parts happen off camera-; rather than actually capturing them in prose, Tolkien decided to simply suggest them--thus making each person imagine them by themself.

      Yes, it was groundbreaking. Yes, I wouldn't have either my favorite genre or my favorite game without it. But it was hardly among "the greatest literature of the 20th century." Most important maybe, but not "greatest."

      "There was a lot missing in the movie from the book."

      "What?"

      "All the parts that sucked, for one..."

    20. Re:Broad I Guess... by Stalky · · Score: 1
      The climax of the entire story happens less than halfway through the final book,


      Yeah, don't you hate that? I especially hate it when I'm reading histories of the Second World War and they always defeat the big bad guy so soon and we have to wade through the final defeat of the minor bad guy.

      and is done via the predestined actions of a minor character.


      I suppose you could say that, in the same way you could say that the climax of a book that peaks with the slaying of the bad guy "was done via the predestined actions of the hero's sword."

      Most of the really good parts happen off camera-; rather than actually capturing them in prose, Tolkien decided to simply suggest them--thus making each person imagine them by themself.


      I think the only consistent reading of that sentence is that you don't care for the book at all, if you can believe that both that

      (1) the author crafted the "really good parts" of the book
      deliberately ("Tolkien decided") and
      (2) the book is "badly written".

      Yes, it was groundbreaking. Yes, I wouldn't have either my favorite genre or my favorite game without it. But it was hardly among "the greatest literature of the 20th century." Most important maybe, but not "greatest."


      I'd rate it up there. But then, I think highly enough of it to have gone back to it every couple of years in the three decades
      since I first read it.

      "There was a lot missing in the movie from the book."

      "What?"

      "All the parts that sucked, for one..."


      Like the Frodo's character development, in its entirety? It seems to me that Jackson missed the fact that, although Frodo retained the appearance of a hobbit just out of his tweens, he was, in fact, fifty years old. I can just imagine what he's done to Sam's character development in this installment. Does Arwen make another of her appearances, this time in Cirith Ungol?

      --
      Jeff
    21. Re:Broad I Guess... by Planesdragon · · Score: 1

      Yeah, don't you hate that? I especially hate it when I'm reading histories of the Second World War and they always defeat the big bad guy so soon and we have to wade through the final defeat of the minor bad guy.

      WWII was a real event. The Lord of the Rings was a fantasy epic. It's not a fair comparison.

      Now, when taken as a whole LotR has the climax in about the right place--but it's almost never taken that way.

      I suppose you could say that, in the same way you could say that the climax of a book that peaks with the slaying of the bad guy "was done via the predestined actions of the hero's sword."

      The predestined part isn't all that bad--it's part and parcel of the tradition. But the problem is that the biggest problem of the entire world is solved by a madman accidently jumping into a volcano...

      I think the only consistent reading of that sentence is that you don't care for the book at all, if you can believe that both that

      (1) the author crafted the "really good parts" of the book
      deliberately ("Tolkien decided") and
      (2) the book is "badly written".

      Well, that's the problem. Tolkien DIDN'T write the "really good parts"--he merely suggested them.

      And I DID care for the books--until I finished them. It feels like Tolkien started the fantasy tradition of having your trilogy get worse with each volume. *sigh*

      Like the Frodo's character development, in its entirety? It seems to me that Jackson missed the fact that, although Frodo retained the appearance of a hobbit just out of his tweens, he was, in fact, fifty years old. I can just imagine what he's done to Sam's character development in this installment.

      Hobbit years are not human years--and even if they were, most hobbits-as-written don't grow up very much at all.

      As far as movies go, Frodo & Sam have gobs and gobs of character development.

      Does Arwen make another of her appearances, this time in Cirith Ungol?

      Ah, you'd prefer it if Jackson faithfuly reproduced Tolkien's sexism?

      Lord of the Rings, the movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, is a retelling of the story by Tolkien. The basic story is the same, while the parts that don't matter are either dropped or changed.

      The promotion of the strong female lead to an active role won't get anyone's hackles up but the same kind of fan that bitches that Tom Bombadil didn't show up.

      AFAIK, Arwen DOES show up. I have a suspicion that she brings the Narsil to Aragorn; FotR was unclear as to if he's got it or not. It'd be very believeable that the elves don't take the time to reforge the broken sword before the Fellowship sets off, and if so Arwen bringing the sword would help fill out TT.

      (Side note: There's a difference between not liking something and knowing that it's badly written. The structure, pacing, and detail of The Lord of the Rings is ancient and abyssmal--it's dated a scant century after its original publication.)

    22. Re:Broad I Guess... by thgreatoz · · Score: 0

      I read the books AND saw the movie, and I loved it!!!! I always thought that the books would make a great film, and was elated, and still am, that they were finally translated to a visual medium.

      --
      When their numbers dwindled from 50 to 8, the dwarves began to suspect Hungry.
    23. Re:Broad I Guess... by Stalky · · Score: 1
      And I DID care for the books--until I finished them. It feels like Tolkien started the fantasy tradition of having your trilogy get worse with each volume. *sigh*

      Currently, my favorite parts of the book are the journey to Crickhollow and the Scouring of the Shire. The latter might explain why I can't relate with either your problem with the long denouement or your feeling that the last is worst than the first. After those bits, my favorite part is Cirith Ungol, of which more later...
      Hobbit years are not human years--and even if they were, most hobbits-as-written don't grow up very much at all.

      Most hobbits-as-written as long as you exclude the four in the Fellowship and all those involved in the Scouring of the Shire. As for hobbit years, a hobbit comes of age at 33 and considers 102 a "ripe, old age" at which to die. A fifty-year-old hobbit is surely equivalent to a forty-year-old human -- not the teenager portrayed in the movie.
      As far as movies go, Frodo & Sam have gobs and gobs of character development.

      In the book, Frodo's development is illustrated in his actions in the barrow, on Weathertop, at the Ford, and in the Scouring. In the movies, these scenes are either removed or in them Frodo is made a passive figure.
      Ah, you'd prefer it if Jackson faithfuly reproduced Tolkien's sexism?

      Not necessarily. I'd have written very nearly the same thing had Glorfindel done the Kevin Sorbo version of Arwen's Lucy Lawless act at the Ford. Frodo, though nearly overcome by the splinter he received at Weathertop, resisted the Nazgul on his own -- the only thing Glorfindel did was to command Frodo's horse to flee (and to help scare the Riders' horses into the flood). My point is that Jackson seems to like his hobbits clueless and helpless. That just isn't going to work at Cirith Ungol -- hence my Arwen comment.
      --
      Jeff
    24. Re:Broad I Guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've got to be kidding me. Reading the book spoils the movie for you. The books are abysmally boring and slow, and could easily be cut down to 30% of the size without losing anything from the story. I stopped part way through the 2nd book, as it was so damn boring I couldn't stand it. I've read some books that were as long, but they just don't get as boring an uninteresting.

    25. Re:Broad I Guess... by Dirtside · · Score: 2

      Assuming it is true that "the most vocal whiners have been people who have read the books," it's silly to assume that reading the books will turn you into a vocal whiner (or will turn you into anything)... unless you're a whiny, nitpicking asshole by nature, in which case I'd agree with you. Stay away from the long, complicated words and stick with the nice pretty images instead. :)

      --
      "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  3. my sister... by danratherfan · · Score: 0, Troll

    made me watch lord of the rings. it was okay. i mean it was gorgeous and all but i never got into the whole mid earth thing. I'm not toally sure how this made the front page though? Some site has news on Lord of the Rings? Weee!

    1. Re:my sister... by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Funny

      You'd prefer maybe a news about a site with news about a guy who used linux for something?

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    2. Re:my sister... by houseofmore · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Ya. Go have a read about what that guy has to say about a Spielberg mini-series and we'll see you back here.

    3. Re:my sister... by pVoid · · Score: 5, Interesting
      My litterature teacher once told me a very interesting anecdote:

      He said one day, he was visiting an old castle in France (made to be a museum), and as he was standing on a balcony, someone said "this is where so and so (from Balzac's novels) used to live". To which my teacher replied "you know, that person is ficticious", and the guy's answer was "what, you think the life of a real person from 200 years ago is anywhere nearly as interesting?"

      My point is, there are many arguments about Tolkien's stories about how... lame they are or what not. But LoTR is just a part in a masterpiece that Tolkien dedicated his whole life to. He was a great author, among the Greats, and it's not to be taken lightly. Middle Earth is a complete realm from creation to the present. For all intents and purposes, this place actually existed. The details he put into this are astonishing.

      As Tolkien himself says, he created Middle Earth because he felt the lack of a good Mythology that had a Celtic feel. He wanted something a-la Scandinavian, Greek, or Egyptian mythology, but for his homeland. And so, he friggin went ahead and created one. Take it as such: LoTR is a Myth of old. Like David and Goliath, or whatever...

      Btw, I saw the first movie, and saw the trailer for the second, and I'm creaming my jeans (as filthy critic would say). But I must also add that they are only a shadow of the books.

    4. Re:my sister... by Old+Wolf · · Score: 2, Informative

      It was, if Peter Jackson is a guy, and the production of LOTR is a something

    5. Re:my sister... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You spelled "literature" wrong.

    6. Re:my sister... by pVoid · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      sorry, spelled it in french. I wonder if you feel proud now.

    7. Re:my sister... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are always proud to bash the French! Ha Ha Ha

    8. Re:my sister... by pVoid · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      Hah Ha!

      You actually made me laugh.

      It also reminded me of the scene in the simpsons 'trilogy of error', when lisa goes to the West Springfield Elementary, and enters in on a french class, and all the kids start laughing at her, and the teacher says "in french please", and they all start laughing 'a-la french' (and I marvel at the number of times I can fit 'and' in a single sentence).

    9. Re:my sister... by Dirtside · · Score: 2
      He was a great author, among the Greats, and it's not to be taken lightly. Middle Earth is a complete realm from creation to the present. For all intents and purposes, this place actually existed. The details he put into this are astonishing.
      There is still one reason not to take it as seriously as you would take real history: Real history is internally consistent, and Middle Earth's history is not (or at least, it does not have to be, and it seems unlikely that there are no contradictions anywhere within its telling). Yes, there are contradictions in our known history, but aside from positing violations of the laws of physics, we assume that we have inaccurate information, not that some author made an error which we have to ignore.

      We want to learn from history, to avoid making the same mistakes; learning from fictional histories is harder, because you won't necessarily have to worry about making mistakes that might not be able to happen in real life. This is not to diminish Tolkien's literary achievements, of course; I've read and loved LOTR just as many others have. But though LOTR is often more interesting than real history, I don't think LOTR could or should take the place of real history. Yes, it's not to be taken lightly, if you want a complete view of western civilization, but it must be remembered what place in that civilization it holds.

      --
      "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  4. Already got tickets by geekguy · · Score: 1

    I already have my Tickets to LoTR TTT midnight show, got a group of geeks I'm going there with, now I just need to decide if I want to be an ubergeek and dress up as a character from it.

    --
    -- Any comments seen here are not mine, but a mixture of alchohol and lack of sleep.
    1. Re:Already got tickets by Dylan_t_p · · Score: 1

      I wanna go as frodo.....but I think I'm just a little big (5"11) :)

    2. Re:Already got tickets by lpret · · Score: 2

      Yeah, no one in the DFW area does the dress up thing. I found that out the hard way last year...

      --
      This is my digital signature. 10011011001
  5. Frame by Frame Analysis by Grip3n · · Score: 5, Informative

    Oops, nearly forgot the frame by frame analysis link of the preview:

    Frame by Frame

    --
    To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
  6. Re:fp! by Bitmap · · Score: 0

    ahh... www.homestarrunner.com (it's dot com) what a great sight. But what does fhqwgads! have to do with TTT?

  7. Gollum Song Video by Grip3n · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those of you who are interested, here is a link to the Gollum Song Video. This song will be played at the end of The Two Towers during the credits. Its really creepy, starring Emiliana Torrini for the voice. It's extremely well done and makes you feel a deep sense of pity for the tortured soul that is Gollum. (There are no spoilers in this video, just recycled images from already released previews).

    Large (11.8mb)
    Med (2.2mb)
    Small (970k)

    (Note: these are in Quicktime)

    --
    To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
    1. Re:Gollum Song Video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It reminds me of a james bond song.. and that girls voice is too bjorkish.. i hate bjork, ugh... still though, cant wait for the movie woooooooo!!!!!!

    2. Re:Gollum Song Video by geekoid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "here are no spoilers in this video, just recycled images from already released previews"
      which have enough spoiler in them them selves.

      I know people who have not read the books, so putting that charater in the trailer was poor judgment.

      Yes most people have read the books, but thay already know, its the few who havent seen it that the trailer should be geared to.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Gollum Song Video by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Most adult film goers don't care that much about spoilers. I assume that people go to films for reasons other than to see punch lines and surprises. If otherwise, they'd best not discuss films or books or any narratives with me at all. The only exception to that is the true plot twist, a la Crying Game. As Andrew O'Hehir says:

      Actually, my view is that the spoiler obsession, born of the Internet's fan-geek culture, is the enemy of real criticism, real discussion and maybe even real thought, but that's a subject for another time.
    4. Re:Gollum Song Video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wanna hear Gollum singing Leonard Nimoy's "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins".

    5. Re:Gollum Song Video by zdzichu · · Score: 2

      (Note: these are in Quicktime)

      Have no fear, MPlayer plays them without problem.

      --
      :wq
    6. Re:Gollum Song Video by Angram · · Score: 1

      Most adult film goes don't care about spoilers because there is nothing to spoil. Hollywood garbage doesn't have much in terms of plot. When a decent movie does come out, the people that want to see it as an intellectual or artistic journey don't want it spoiled (think Brazil).

      Plot twists aren't relevant, most great works are meant to be a single uninterrupted unit, without prior knowledge. Every decent movie or book has a plot twist (how many of you expected X to happen to Y at point A in anything you've ever read or seen?) There's always something you don't expect. We're not psychics here.

      One of my great regrets as a child was reading the Encyclopedia of Middle Earth before LotR. I knew the end before I got to the beginning. There is nothing more anticlimactic than reading or watching what you'd known was going to happen.

      --

      GL
    7. Re:Gollum Song Video by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 2
      Most great works have nothing to do with avoiding prior knowledge. News flash: in Hamlet, he kills his uncle and his Mom, and dies. MacBeth dies. Oedipus sleeps with his mum and kills his Pa, goes crazy and kills himself.

      If you think in any way that I've ruined those stories for you, you're mad. If you think that most people who went to see the original plays didn't know those stories ahead of time, you're also mad.

      In a journey, you largely know where you are going and the route you will take. It's a matter of enjoying, not "knowing," the route that matters.

    8. Re:Gollum Song Video by Dirtside · · Score: 2
      In a journey, you largely know where you are going and the route you will take. It's a matter of enjoying, not "knowing," the route that matters.
      You may know a general idea behind the story (crime thriller: cop solves mystery; romantic comedy: at-odds couple finally falls in love; etc.), but the surprises along the way can turn a well-known idea into a wonderful story (LA Confidential; When Harry Met Sally). I personally prefer to know as little as possible about a story before I experience it (be it a movie, book, whatever). Just because you don't care about whether you know the entire story doesn't mean that other people don't or shouldn't care. I didn't know dick about Hamlet the first time I saw it, and I'm glad -- if I'd known they were all going to die in the end, it would have taken all the shock out of it. Do I think everyone should feel this way? Of course not; that's your thing. :)

      Anyway, the entire point of this thread was that he was making readers aware what level of spoiler info there was in the linked material. If you don't care about spoilers, then you don't have to heed the warning, but don't go insulting those who like surprises in their entertainment.

      --
      "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  8. Umm.. by alwsn · · Score: 2, Funny

    In other news: newspapers (even in their electronic form) occasionally cover information about recent events or happenings

  9. best way to see it for free...not just for TTT by sahidrajar · · Score: 3, Informative

    (This works at AMC theaters :)...Go to the theater the day before the movie opens, prod an usher into telling you where the employee screening is. Slip into the theater after the movie starts, and keep to yourself. Most employees don't know each other, and no one questions a person that isn't causing a problem

    1. Re:best way to see it for free...not just for TTT by Cyno01 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, my friend who works at a Marcus Theater got me into Ep II 2 days early.:D

      --
      "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  10. Some links by tgrotvedt · · Score: 5, Informative
    This wasn't too detailed so...

    Here are some places around the web for more TTT info/media:

    http://www.darthscreencapture.com/LOTR/ttt.html: Trailers and previews.

    The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers Official Movie Site: The name says it all.\

    TheOneRing.net(TM)| Lord of the Rings Movie News and Rumors: Very useful news site.

    TolkienMovies.com - Lord of the Rings Movie News, Rumors, Photos: Alot of available stuff, but nicely colated.

    Hope that helps...

    --
    What makes a man want to be a mouse? (Python's Flying Circus)
  11. International Release Dates by Grip3n · · Score: 5, Informative

    Slashdot receives a wide range of visitors from every country. Therefore, here's an international list of release dates in each country TTT will be showing (believe it or not, TTT just doesn't come out on Dec. 18):

    Release Dates

    --
    To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
    1. Re:International Release Dates by macshit · · Score: 2

      So can someone tell me, why is Japan always the last place on earth to get these movies (by over a month in the case of LOTR TTT; better than 6 months I suppose...)?

      Sucks.

      --
      We live, as we dream -- alone....
    2. Re:International Release Dates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      However, the movie having been produced by an American company and targeted primarily for an American audience with American English being spoken in the movie, the release date in the U.S.A. would be the most important date to give out.

    3. Re:International Release Dates by zulux · · Score: 5, Funny

      So can someone tell me, why is Japan always the last place on earth to get these movies (by over a month in the case of LOTR TTT; better than 6 months I suppose...)?

      It's revenge. Revenge for Japan getting all the cool toys years before we do.

      I still can buy a Toshiba Libretto without spending an arm and a leg.

      --

      Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

    4. Re:International Release Dates by Earthworm · · Score: 1

      Living in Japan, I just accept it and use the cheap video rental, but I guess an obvious part of the problem is subtitling, but why it takes longer than other countries using subtitle, I don't know.

    5. Re:International Release Dates by hublan · · Score: 1

      It's revenge. Revenge for Japan getting all the cool toys years before we do.

      They read your reply and now it's been postponed for two months (Feb 22).

      If we start a cascade, maybe they won't see it until we've got "Return of the King" on DVD.

      --
      My spoon is too big.
  12. About the movie (no spoilers) by DeafDumbBlind · · Score: 2, Interesting

    caught a press preview this week:

    1) much more action than the first one
    2) less dramatic/emotinal slowdown.
    3) Golum is the best done CGI character to date.

    can't wait to see it again

    --


    Jesus used to be my co-pilot, but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him.
    1. Re:About the movie (no spoilers) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Golum is the best done CGI character to date.

      So Gollum is a cartoon character? LOTR:TT must be an animated film.

      Why rush to see it again? Treasure Planet sounds more your style.

    2. Re:About the movie (no spoilers) by hermescom · · Score: 1
      In other words - less Tolkien, more dumbed down Hollywood.

      Don't get me wrong, I liked the first movie, but it becomes such a better told story with the extended edition, when all the "dramatic/emotional slowdowns" that have been cut from the release version are added back.

      After your post, I dread going to the theater on the 18th to see a pure action flick, a James Bond movie with swords and elves. And that would suck, since Lord of the Rings can be so much more than that.

      --
      Are you on drug(s)?!! Why not?
    3. Re:About the movie (no spoilers) by DunbarTheInept · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem with your analysis is that even in the original book form The Two Towers had more action and less development than Fellowship Of The Ring, so it's premature to blame this on "less Tolkien, more dumbed down Hollywood" especially when you haven't seen it yet. If this movie had an equal amount of slow melodrama as the first did, then THAT would be a departure from what Tolkien wrote.

      --

      Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.

    4. Re:About the movie (no spoilers) by TC+(WC) · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually... I was reading in Time (?) at the barber's that Jackson thinks, while it's still the stame story, that this upcoming movie is the least faithful of the three. He thinks, however, that it makes it a better movie than it would otherwise be.

    5. Re:About the movie (no spoilers) by clarkc3 · · Score: 1
      of course its the least faithful, the opening scene was cut out and added to a different movie ;)

      But in all honesty, people wouldnt like a strict following of the book format of this one, where the book tells what happens to one group, then the other halfway into the book. I dont think that would translate too well in a film where people will wonder, 'what happened to so and so?' and would not want to wait until an hour into the movie to see some of the charaters for the 1st time

  13. Re:Cock Enlargement by dimension6 · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Well I haven't seen something like THIS before on /. !!! ... a bit offtopic perhaps? ...

    "What, they have bigger dicks? BOMB THEM!"
    --George Carlin
  14. Special Screener by Overloadplanetunreal · · Score: 1, Informative

    For those of you who can't wait to see it on the 18th just may be in luck! There is a special screener happening the day before in San Francisco (at the Metreon) for $50. I guess it's some form of charity thing, I'm not sure; once I read that you get to see the movie Tuesday night I just kind of zoned out!
    Here is the link: Special Preview Screening / Benefit for Amnesty International

  15. More News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    Well, we have even more news coverage from Google News.

    Some highlights:

    Propaganda and 'Lord of the Rings' Area theaters prepare for 'The Two Towers' Lord of the Rings labelled racist Fans gear up for 'Lord of the Rings' release
    1. Re:More News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Hmmm... that last one should be:
      Fans gear up for 'Lord of the Rings' release
    2. Re:More News by nhaines · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yeah, let's see. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings starting in 1940. I guess it reflects British immigration worries in 1950.

      Tolkien's main characters are white. Why? It's a British epic story, set in Britain 7,000 some odd years ago. The "bad guys" are not actually humans, but orcs. That hardly constitutes racism.

      Tolkien was contacted in 1938 by a German publisher interested in translating and printing a German edition of The Hobbit. Tolkien wrote a letter to his publisher expressing outrage at the idea that Jewish heritage might be a prerequisite for a German edition and didn't want to give proof he wasn't Jewish (although he did happen to have proof).

      Since it was really his publisher who had to decide the issue, Tolkien wrote two letters, one politer and the other refusing to give proof of lack of Jewish heritage. Since the politer one still exists, it seems the more angry one got sent to the German publisher. Good for Unwin-Allen. These are letters 28 and 29.

      Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any Bestätigung [confirmation] (although it happens that I can), and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probably) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.

    3. Re:More News by podperson · · Score: 1

      Tolkien's main characters are white. Why? It's a British epic story, set in Britain 7,000 some odd years ago. The "bad guys" are not actually humans, but orcs. That hardly constitutes racism.

      Aside from the lack of resemblance between Britain and Middle Earth geographically, surely, it's racism on a grand scale, against -- for example -- orcs and people of dark complexion.

      The Southrons, who I think not coincidentally are described as swarthy, are human allies of Sauron. Likewise the darker wood elves are less noble than the fair grey/high elves. Gandalf ascends from being "grey" to being "white".

      So from Tolkien we get the following messages:

      a) Purity of blood = purity of spirit. Thus the more Numenorean blood (or better yet High Elvish) in you, the better a person you are.

      b) Race = personality. If you're an elf you're good. There are no evil elves. If you're an orc you're bad. There are no good orcs.

      c) Dark skinned southerners are evil. (OK, that reflects British immigration policies...)

      d) When thousands of orcs are slaughtered by the Riders of Rohan it's heroism. When orcs engage in similar behavior against humans its evil.

      Now I don't think there's any real evidence Tolkien was anything more than casually anti-semitic (as were most Anglicans). There's a good deal of evidence that he lived in a world of white male Christian Oxford dons and this is strongly reflected in his novels. (Reread the "Return of the King" from a homoerotic perspective as a drinking game.)

      Still, Tolkien was raised in South Africa and fought in WWI. A complete non-grasp of sex, race and politics is not entirely forgiveable in a highly educated scholar. E.g. it can scarcely have failed to negatively impact his professional work as a philologist -- what can be more political than language?

    4. Re:More News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      whatever insane and deluded politically correct world you happen to inhabit, i hope theres no roads to it from where i live.

    5. Re:More News by madprogrammer · · Score: 1

      There's lots to argue with here, but here's some highlights:

      Gandalf ascends from being "grey" to being "white". That's stretching things a little, white vs. black (the colours) are long-standing symbols for good vs. evil.

      Purity of blood = purity of spirit? The point of the trilogy was that Frodo (a hobbit, one of the lowest races) rose above all adversity and saved everyone else - and was able to resist the evil in the ring because his spirit was so pure!

      Race = personality? Yeah, for pretty much every race except for humans. Humans were the only race that really had a personality. Humans could be good or evil (or indifferent), unlike the other races who all got stuck in a cast. Notice that some particular groups of humans were "evil" - they were still Human!!

      I found this on the net, posted by "anna", and it sums up everything I'm trying to say perfectly:

      When Sam meets the Southron who has died, there is a detailed and moving description of the Southron: "he came to rest in the fern a few feet away, face downward, green arrow feathers sticking from his neck below a golden collar. His scarlet robes were tattered, his corslet of overlapping brazen plates was rent and hewn, his black plaits of hair braided with gold were drenched with blood. His brown hand still clutched the hilt of a broken sword.". Sams thoughts then follow: "It was Sams first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it very much. He was glad he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the mans name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lie or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace.".

      When being seen through Sams eyes, the Southron is given humanity and beauty.

      And here we come to an essential aspect of Tolkiens "non-racism". It is Sam who is able to give humanity and beauty to this person. And it is Sam and Frodo alone who are able to defeat the Dark Lord by destroying the ring (requiring Gollums help of course). All the might and beauty of the Elvish kingdoms, the lineage of the Numenoreans - Gondor and Aragorn, all the beauty of Galadriel and Arwen - none of it is able to defeat Sauron. This is clearly depicted in the two chapters "The Black Gate Opens" and "Mount Doom". The only people which can defeat Sauron are Frodo and Sam. Tolkien clearly portrays that "superior racial heritage" is of no use. It is only humility, compassion and love - best portrayed by the characters of Sam and Frodo - which can defeat evil.

  16. I can't wait by Dylan_t_p · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm going to this movie opening night and I'm very excited I saw an ent in a preview the other day and I'm excited, though anytime I see lord of the rings now I keep thinking about the MTV video awards version with jack black

    "Elron:do you have the ring. Jack Black:yes, I have the ring, see thing is last night me and my buddies had a little too much meed, and ug we ended up at the piercing parlor, and uh long story short ~drops pants~ Boromir:it is a gift. jack black:your damn right it's a gift, it's called a prince albert, and it's MY PRECIOUS"

  17. Re:Whats to cover?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You could obsess over the movie while having sex. If there's enough of it that you don't have any time left for other activities (probably 12 hours a day or so) you'd probably need to try things like Lord of the Rings roleplay to keep it from getting repetitive.

  18. Re:Whats to cover?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And if the roleplay gets boring, you could do like Jack Black in the alternate version of the Council of Elrond and.....what am I saying?!?!?!?

  19. Wow didn't even know there was Vulcans in it! by Snaller · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I mean look at all those guys with point ears!

    --
    If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
  20. Would explain a thing or two. by WasterDave · · Score: 4, Funny

    So that's where all our international bandwidth has gone, /. strikes again.

    Dave

    --
    I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
  21. Do what i did... by Cyno01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    opening night of Nemisis, bring a lightsaber and look confused.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  22. Super-Hero Prime Minister by coloth · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The prime minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, is showing off her country, as featured in the LOTR movies, by jetboating, ice-picking, rappelling into sinkholes, and overall doing some incredible things for a head of state.

    Makes George Bush look sedentary!

    (article)

    --

    Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. -A. Turing

    1. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by tunah · · Score: 2
      Hey, Bush gets out a bit! Haven't you seen the photo of him out with the military staring meaningfully through binoculars?


      Of course, the he forgot to take the lens cap off.

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    2. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by tunah · · Score: 2
      Found the link.

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    3. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by coloth · · Score: 2

      Hey, Bush gets out a bit!

      Yeah, well maybe if he actually did some exciting and adventurous stuff like PM Helen Clark, he could let out some of that pent-up aggression!

      Just keep him away from those pretzels.

      --

      Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. -A. Turing

    4. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Makes George Bush look sedentary!

      As a taxpayer of the United States all I can say is: good. I want my tax dollars spent for things that better society like $200 toilet seats.

    5. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, Helen Clark is just your Prime Minister. According to who you listen to, your head of state is either the Governor-General or Her Majesty the Queen.

    6. Re:Super-Hero Prime Minister by Mogster · · Score: 1

      Well Actually...
      Our Government is headed by Helen Clark and they run the country (for better or worse depending on your political leanings).
      The Governor General is the Queen's representative which is now essentially no more than a titular position with the only real power being to disolve parliment under very limited circumstances.

      --
      ACK NAK RST
  23. Triumph the Wonder Dog and Star Warsq by mwmurphy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Man, you guys need wedgies. I will be a kickass movie but you will get what's coming to you if I see you in costumes outside the theater.

    --
    - Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss News
    1. Re:Triumph the Wonder Dog and Star Warsq by kavau · · Score: 1
      I will be a kickass movie

      So will I! I only have to find a producer...

    2. Re:Triumph the Wonder Dog and Star Warsq by mwmurphy · · Score: 1

      Heh heh oops. I don't even remember making that comment.

      --
      - Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss News
  24. How can there be spoilers, I read the books by mwmurphy · · Score: 1

    So there. I SMELL NERDS. From revenge of the nerds or something.

    --
    - Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss News
    1. Re:How can there be spoilers, I read the books by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Okay smarty-pants, here's a spoiler: They're already planning the next trilogy!

  25. Don't forget the "hate speech" link by jerde · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So, um... get this:

    Naming this movie "The Two Towers" is hate speech, according to the folks at www.twotowersprotest.org.

    Why?

    You insensitive clod, it's because "The Two Towers" somehow reminds us of the World Trade Center towers. (Never mind that the towers never went by that name. They were the "Twin Towers" in some circles. I never heard "Two Towers")

    I can't find any references to protests about the title of "K19: Widowmaker" -- talk about an insensitive title!

    Sigh.

    I'm wandering even farther off topic, please excuse me:

    My grandfather just passed away, and he was cremated. Garrison Keillor, in his "News from Lake Wobegon" tonight on the Prairie Home Companion radio show, told an extended joke about a grandma who would take "grandpa" (an urn) down off the shelf around christmas time, so he could spend time with the family. Think about it -- this can be quite funny, all the odd situations that go on with an urn in the picture.

    Obviously, I had rather mixed feelings hearing this, given my family's recent loss.

    But should I be mad at Keillor for telling this joke? Is it in poor taste?

    I'm willing to say of course not! Humor, art, literature, movies talk about stuff that happens in life.

    You could try to restrict the content of art forms so as not to offend anybody... but you'd never succeed.

    This two towers thing is JUST A COINCIDENCE, and not to obvious a one at that. It never even ocurred to me until I'd read about this protest.

    Stop to consider that sometimes protests like this just make the whole situation worse.

    Off the soapbox... sorry for the rant...

    (Go out and enjoy the movie!!! I got my tickets already. :)

    - Peter

    --
    INsigNIFICANT
    1. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by Klerck · · Score: 0, Funny

      YHBT!

      I wrote that FAQ and the original petition that the page was based upon.

    2. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by Corbin+Dallas · · Score: 1

      LOL, that link is so stupid! They pretend that they're trying to be "sensitive" by eliminating the Two Towers title, while plastering the "Two Towers" phrase all over the website. Not to mention that thier logo shows a trade center in flames... yeah, that's being sensitive alright.

      --
      Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
    3. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by wurzle · · Score: 0

      it is a joke you idiot

    4. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by nickclarke · · Score: 2, Informative

      from the FAQ:

      We believe that Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema's actions are in fact hate speech. The movie is intentionally being named The Two Towers in order to capitalize on the tragedy of September 11. Clearly, you cannot deny the fact that this falls under hate speech. We believe that if they will not willingly change the name, the government should step in to stop the movie's production or to force a name change.

      Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the second book named 'The Two Towers' - Therefore, the movie is intentionally being named 'The Two Towers' because that was the name of the book its based on. That has nothing to do with capitalising on the tragedy. Are they going to try and get the name of the book changed as well?

    5. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by sckeener · · Score: 2

      I sent sent them an email to twotowersprotest

      asking if they also wanted the publisher to retroactively collect all the books that had the title in it including the ones published before 2001....

      --
      "Only one thing, is impossible for god: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet." Mark Twain
    6. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously they should.

      Little known to the public, Tolkien was a psychic who specialized in predicting terrorist attacks on the city of New York... and intentionally named his book 60-70 years ago to capitalize on the future event.

    7. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 1

      dude...every time I read those /. posts about how rong it is to have called the movie (or even the book) The Two Towers it just makes me afraid they are _really_ gonna do it again (oops) when the movie comes out...

      --
      Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
    8. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by karandago · · Score: 1
      God, how can you all be so insanely dense. It's obviously not hate speach, it's prophecy. An evil presence coming from the south east??? How can you not see.


      Sauron is Bin Laden, Gandalf is Dick Cheney (remember how he disapeared for a bit... just like the balrog thing), Aragorn is Colin Powell, Frodo is George Bush, Helms Deep is Iraq.


      It's all so obvious. Though I'm not sure how we're going to get the giant eagles to help us in the final battle against Bin Laden's forces.

    9. Re:Don't forget the "hate speech" link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really, it gives it away in the faq where it says: "The movie is intentionally being named The Two Towers in order to capitalize on the tragedy of September 11"

  26. Sleep and Map of Middle Earth/NZ by AndroidCat · · Score: 3, Informative
    When I went to the map of locations I looked for the dot marked "Author's house". You'd have to be a Samurai Cat fan to understand. Or.. Let's see, good art, no maps, hurm no luck. Ah well, good down to the local shop and buy one. (Don't just flip through it to see the maps or you will be Banned For Life!)

    Oh yeah, the sleep part - knew I was forgetting something.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  27. Another link by bahwi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everyone else is posting links and karma whoring(one, the other, or even both) so I'll join them!

    Slashdot.org has links to an article, plus comments with links to other sites giving even more information on LOTR:TTT.

    Slashdot comes in one size and is _not_ quicktime! Sorry!

  28. It's out... On Kazaa! by Alien+Venom · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's already out on KaZaA, I saw it! It was a 200k executable file -- file compresion has gone so far these days! :P

  29. hello by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hello! please mod this comment down to -1. I am continuing to do my part to ensure that slashdot's signal to noise ratio remains very low!

  30. Not just plot spoilers, visual spoilers too! by Polyphemis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Chill out, man. While I do agree that the book should be read first, it should be noted that the movie isn't a perfect translation from the book. For FOTR, the whole love story was practically squat in the book, there was no Lurtz, Frodo wasn't the one that found the password, etc. I realize those aren't huge plot points but there are a lot of departures from the book.

    And apart from that, there's simply the whole visual aspect of things being spoiled. I don't recall seeing that huge, badassed 3D Balrog in the book, for example. Obvious, but I think that it's a pretty good point. I've been trying to minimize my exposure to this movie, PARTICULARLY with the Ents, just so I can behold their total coolness on the big screen. That'd still be just as much a spoiler as if I hadn't read the book.

    Your real point is still quite valid though. Any self-respecting human that hasn't read LOTR yet should buy a copy immediately :)

    1. Re:Not just plot spoilers, visual spoilers too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      So true. Sadly I had never heard of LOTR until the first movie came out....please don't kill me. I've also had my head buried in technical manuals and programming books for the last 5+ years and forgot how good a novel can be. So after seeing the first movie, on DVD mind you (I missed on the big screen), I decided to read the books.

      I have since read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. I loved them both. I struggled trying to decide whether to read The Two Towers before or after the movie. If I read it before then I will probably not like the movie as much, how could it match my own imagination?? If I see the movie first then my imagination will be tainted by someone else's vision. I decided to avoid the poison and read the book first. This way it will be my adventure that I experience and not Peter Jackson's. I have read the first have in the last two days and will try to finish it before the movie starts next week.

      Reading what I have already read, I am more anxious to see the movie. I can't wait to read The Return of the King. If I read fast enough I may even finish before the 18th!!

    2. Re:Not just plot spoilers, visual spoilers too! by bkhl · · Score: 1

      It isn't to late to see _The Fellowship of the Ring_ on a big screen. It will be in the cinemas until the _The Return of the King_ goes up.

      As the movie is expicitly aimed to people who have read the book, I think you can be assured that your experience of the film will be enhanced by having read the book beforehand.

      I'm reading through _The Two Towers_ right now, in time for the premiere, but for me it's about the twelwth time.

    3. Re:Not just plot spoilers, visual spoilers too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think that there are any theaters near my house that still have FOTR playing. I first saw it on my powerbook of all things. While it is not the same as the BIG screen, the sound was much better with headphones. The scene with Galadriel and her eyes scared the shit out of me at 3AM!! hehe.

    4. Re:Not just plot spoilers, visual spoilers too! by thgreatoz · · Score: 0

      I just hope to God that the Ents are still IN this one, and not written out like poor Tom Bombadill-o!

      --
      When their numbers dwindled from 50 to 8, the dwarves began to suspect Hungry.
  31. the LOTR phat beats by thing_in_itself · · Score: 4, Funny
    Lords of the Rhymes:

    I'm Gimli and I'm a fuckin' dwarf
    Killin' motherfuckers from the south to the north
    That's not Mirkwood I'm chopping with my battle axe
    And I'm on an orc stampede like Shadowfax

    I think things like this need to be encouraged as much as possible. They have an MP3 download. And they also sample the immortal Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy.

    1. Re:the LOTR phat beats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      holy shit. I hesitate to use this word, but I cannot resist. Thats fscking l33to

  32. Re:fp! by danny256 · · Score: 1

    The relevant like found HERE.

  33. On Kazaa! Lord of the rings watches you by Syncdata · · Score: 2

    And it only contained 15 trojan horses! Wow! What a deal!

    --
    "Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
    1. Re:On Kazaa! Lord of the rings watches you by gl4ss · · Score: 2

      lotr: trojan edition.

      with hercules and all your other favourite ancient greek heros.

      hades makes one bad ass sauron.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    2. Re:On Kazaa! Lord of the rings watches you by Codifex+Maximus · · Score: 2

      Herakles? He wasn't in the Trodian war.

      Try Akileos, Aias, Paris, Oddysseos, etc...

      --
      Codifex Maximus ~ In search of... a shorter sig.
  34. There's daily coverage on stuff.co.nz as well by Karora · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Stuff also has daily coverage. This is the site for the major Wellington newspaper, The Dominion Post, (among others) and Wellington's really where the major LOTR action has been in New Zealand, especially since it's where Peter Jackson lives.

    Check out this cool map :-)

    --

    ...heellpppp! I've been captured by little green penguins!
    1. Re:There's daily coverage on stuff.co.nz as well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "http://slashdot.org/stuff.co.nz"

      Nice bad link, dumbass.

  35. Just a quick message... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You all suck, I'm extremely cranky, I'm sick of work and I want to go home.

    Also, you all suck.

  36. Re:Dirty Linux Hippies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And a happy fuck you to you too, bitch.

  37. Re:Dirty Linux Hippies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thanks Michael, your post made my day. Hook, line and sinker.

  38. In Soveit Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lord of the Rings isn't for FAGS!

    1. Re:In Soveit Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure it is!

      I mean, with Frodo and Merry being a 'couple' in real life, a gay Gandalf, and some bisexual elves and humans populating the movie, this is one of the gayest movies ever made. Not to mention all that male-bonding, especially the Frodo-Sam relationship.

      Gay guys LOVE this movie!

    2. Re:In Soveit Russia by Lowla · · Score: 1
      Meaning that outside of Soviet Russia it *is* for fags? Cool.

      Hint: Soviet Russia ceased to exist in 1991.

  39. How come Grauman's Chinese Theatre is not showing? by antdude · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does anyone know why the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre (aka Mann's Chinese), in Hollywood, CA, is not showing LOTR movie? Same thing happened with the last movie. Yet, it is currently showing Star Trek: Nemesis. The theatre did show last two Star Wars movies. This theater is a perfect place for LOTR movies and big revenues. This calendar of events does not show this movie listed. :(

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  40. The real news is. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can't wait for Dec. 18???

    So what.

    The real news is that this movie is gayer than Rob Schneider in "The Hot Chick".

    1. Re:The real news is. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gayer, and better. And thank god for that.

      And for a great picture of what Aragorn and Merry get up to when they're out of costume and in front of cameras, go here:

      http://www.bagendinn.com/images/A-D/dom-viggo2.j pg

      Yup, gay as can be! I can't wait to see it!

  41. Real Link (Oops, mangled the tag last time) by tunah · · Score: 4, Funny
    Found the link.

    http://www.captionmachine.com/?p=132&c=1

    --
    Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    1. Re:Real Link (Oops, mangled the tag last time) by Fishstick · · Score: 2

      Ohm that is classic! Completely forgot about that one. I remember John Stewart said something like that when they showed that on the Daily Show.

      I also remember Bush's sound bite from that as well (Think he was looking across the DMZ at NK at the time, right?)

      something like "I don't need these binoculars to see that they are evil!"

      --

      There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
      Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.

  42. American English? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Most of the actors are either English Acting Knights, New Zealanders, Australians or Brits. The Americans that ARE in the film put on Brit accents. Where does the "American English" come in exactly?

  43. IN SOVEIT NEW ZEALAND by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Michael dresses up as Gollum and put his fingers into his "ring".

  44. For best results: Books, then movies. by Admiral+Burrito · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If I read it before then I will probably not like the movie as much, how could it match my own imagination??

    I wouldn't worry too much about that. I've read the books several times before watching the movie, and I would say that Peter Jackson et al did very well in bringing the book to life. Sure the movie has lots of things missing, and the occasional thing done not very well, but all in all a good job that even surpassed my imagination in some places.

    I think the book touched me emotionally far more than the movie ever could. Tolkien's writing gives a supernatural splendor to the the most common things, contrasted against the looming darkness. The movie made me gawk at the amazing visuals. :) Book, then movie, and neither will take away from the other.

    After reading the trilogy and watching all three movies (after they're released of course), go and read the Silmarillion. Read it more than once - the style of writing is very matter-of-fact, which makes for hard reading, but the second time is easier. It is truely epic, and if you manage to follow it you'll look at the story in the Lord of the Rings with a new perspective.

  45. 101st post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One-hundred-and-first POST!

  46. Correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's either GNU/hippies or GNU/Linux, but not Linux hippies.

  47. News for NERDS by overunderunderdone · · Score: 2

    At the top of this and every page on /. right below the logo it says "news for nerds" I think that is sufficient to explain why anything about TTT (no matter how trivial) is front page news that matters (to nerds).

    It's a nerd thing, you wouldn't understand.

  48. IN MIDDLE EARTH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ring watches you!

  49. mod parent up by myc · · Score: 2

    funniest shit I heard in ages.

    --
    NO CARRIER
  50. The Two Towers by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2


    I have been a great fan of LOTR since the first American release of the books in the 60's; my wife actually has the first edition - she had it imported from England when she was a teenager after reading WH Auden's original review.

    We had both thought that doing justice to this on film was impossible and were viewing the Peter Jackson effort as likely to be a great flop.

    How glad we are that we were wrong. These films are magnificent and capture the greatest story of the 20th century. We have watched FOTR several times now, and are amazed how well it has held up.

    I cannot wait until we can put all 3 films on a dvd changer and let them run consecutively.

    1. Re:The Two Towers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, yeah baby! 10 straight hours of Tolkien goodness...

  51. Silmarillion by Angram · · Score: 2, Informative

    I consider the Silmarillion the best of the lot. Instead of just one story spanning three books (albeit a great one), you have dozens that feel just as detailed in a single volume. Tolkien combines most of the major mythologies to bring this one to us, and he does an amazing job. Don't stop with the Silmarillion, though, go on the Unfinished Tales and the rest. There are another dozen or so books published from his journals, and they contain a lot of unpublished parts to each, and earlier versions (Strider was a hobbit named Trotter). After reading the Silmarillion et al. you gain a whole new understanding of the events of the Third Age (Hobbit, LotR). LotR becomes a whole lot more impressive once you know the events that lead up to it.

    --

    GL
  52. Re:The Lens Cap Thing by Angry+Toad · · Score: 2

    I really hate to spoil a thing like the lens-cap photo, but accuracy has always been more important to me than anything else.

    For those who haven't already seen the link, here is a link to a site which describes night-vision binoculars of the type Bush is using in the photo. Executive Summary: The photo looks funny, but Bush is doing nothing wrong.

    I like a good chance to mock Bush Jr. as much as the next guy, but it has to at least be fair.

  53. Silmarillion, then LotR again by XNormal · · Score: 2

    Reading LotR again after reading the Silmarillion is a very different experience. You suddenly spot lots of references and everything fits into a bigger scheme.

    Highly recommended.

    --
    Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
  54. Minor Nit: Tolkien HATED allegory by FreeUser · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yeah, let's see. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings starting in 1940. I guess it reflects British immigration worries in 1950.

    I can't tell if you're being sarcastic here or not (apologies if you were), but ...

    Tolkien would likely take great offense at this characterization, were he alive and able to hear (read) it. He truly disliked, one could perhaps even say DESPISED, allegory, and emphatically stated time and time again that his mythos was in no way allegorical about any of the political, social, or economic conditions of the time. It was intended as a MYTHOS drawing upon the rich historical and cultural heritage of Britain, and unlike so many novels of the era, had ABSOLUTELY NO MESSAGE with respect to current potitics, economics, or social commentary WHATSOEVER.

    Other than that, I think you post is dead on (and find the tidbit you bring up about German translation very interesting).

    --
    The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
    1. Re:Minor Nit: Tolkien HATED allegory by nathanh · · Score: 2
      Yeah, let's see. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings starting in 1940. I guess it reflects British immigration worries in 1950.

      I can't tell if you're being sarcastic here or not (apologies if you were)

      Seeing as time-travel hadn't been perfected in the 1940s, I'm fairly confident that he was being sarcastic.

  55. Redundant? by Snaller · · Score: 2

    Surely you ment Funny!

    --
    If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
  56. Re:The Lens Cap Thing by tunah · · Score: 2
    Thanks for that, I stand corrected.

    Now I'm being even more naive, but why would he use those in the daytime?

    --
    Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
  57. I'll see it on the 16th! by swagr · · Score: 2

    My girlfriend worked at the LOTR exhibit in Toronto.
    I'll be seeing the movie on Monday.

    Bwahahahahaha!
    I'll probably post to stories on Tuesday to ruin the movie for you all.

    --

    -... --- .-. . -.. ..--..
  58. Already seen TTT by ryants · · Score: 2
    I've already seen The Two Towers as part of a special screening for Electronic Arts employees. I submitted the following review to /., but it was rejected:

    Two words: Fucking awesome.

    --

    Ryan T. Sammartino
    "Ancora imparo"

    1. Re:Already seen TTT by frenchtouch · · Score: 1

      I've also saw it at the avant-première in Paris last tuesday and two words :
      too long !

      And can anyone tell me why they didn't choose to put a resumé of the first movie, I mean I've seen the first one but the movie opens directly with the last shot of the first movie (hobits walking in the snow..) and it's was diffiult to "get in" (don't know the english expression) the movie without a quick intro on what was going on just before.

      Otherwise the party was really great... just in front of the eiffel tower, nice dj's, nice girls (liv I love you) and free champagne and fois gras till 6 in the morning !

  59. Brazilian Line Parties by Nasheer · · Score: 3, Informative

    And if there are any Brazilian Tolkien fans who read ./, don't forget to have a look at the scheduled Line Parties for Brazil.

    And going farther, if there is any Tolkien Fan who reads /. AND lives in Recife, I'll see you at the Multiplex Tacaruna Line Party. For the ones who live in the South Zone, there is one party at the Multiplex Recife.

    I'll be there dressed as a Dark Night (No, this is not a joke. I did the same Jan, 1st, in the release of Fellowship Of the Ring.)

    --
    - Please, ignore everything written above.
  60. Don't drink and post! by mwmurphy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Ha ha ha, I just got notified that there was a reply to some smartass comment I made at 3:18 last night (morning?) that I don't remember making. I get in more trouble that way...(e-mail can be dangerous if not used sober)

    --
    - Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss News
  61. Dec 18? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thanks to knowing people, I get to see it TOMORROW (Dec 16) in the 'sneek preview'!!!!!!!!!! Have fun waiting. I'll make sure to post a full spoiler-filled review.

    hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

  62. In the Land of Mordor... by FoxMcCloud · · Score: 1

    Sauron watches YOU !

    --
    bool Marketoid::IsGood(){return IsDead();}
  63. How about "Rocket Man" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do you mean? That wasn't Gollum?

  64. "Hate speech" my ass - YHBT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You have fallen for one of the more successful trolls in recent memory.

  65. yaaaaaawn, it's back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tolkien was a racist tard.

  66. NZ premier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The New Zealand premier is on Wednesday night (GMT+12).

    There's a live webcam here:
    http://www.wellingtonnz.com/cam/webcam.html

    The big white building is The Embassy, the street will be closed from midday. enjoy.

  67. In Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...we had to build our own towers.

  68. Re:How come Grauman's Chinese Theatre is not showi by Dirtside · · Score: 2

    Most likely it's just a business matter between the companies involved. Mann Theatres owns the Chinese, and the Mann Village theater in Westwood (just off-campus from UCLA), and TTT will be showing there. Maybe they figured that Nemesis would be a big enough draw to justify having it at the Chinese this week, since their other big-ticket theater (the Village) would have TTT. (They were wrong; Nemesis did poorly this weekend, but if you could predict that in advance, you'd be smarter than every other person who ever worked in the entertainment industry...)

    So it did poorly; why not dump it for TTT? Alas, the contracts between theaters and studios usually require that first-run movies show for two to four weeks minimum, and that commitment is usually made several weeks, if not months, in advance. Nemesis opened on Friday; there's no way it could be bumped for TTT by the following Wednesday, no matter how poorly it did.

    Granted, it would be a great experience to see it there, but I personally prefer the Village. (The sound is louder, for one thing. :))

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  69. Im so Excited by Mandilicious · · Score: 1

    OMG!!! TTT IS GOING TO BE SOOOOOOO FAWKING AWESOME!I was watching Mtv's Movie house and from those previews i am totally psyched! RAWK!!!

    --
    "Be more concerned with your charecter rather than your reputation. For your reputation is mearly what others think of y
  70. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    ... C++ offers even more flexible control over the visibility of member
    objects and member functions. Specifically, members may be placed in the
    public, private, or protected parts of a class. Members declared in the
    public parts are visible to all clients; members declared in the private
    parts are fully encapsulated; and members declared in the protected parts
    are visible only to the class itself and its subclasses. C++ also supports
    the notion of *_______friends*: cooperative classes that are permitted to see each
    other's private parts.
    -- Grady Booch, "Object Oriented Design with Applications"

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