Will LOTR:ROTK Extended Edition Hit Cinemas?

yootje writes "Two articles today on TheOneRing.net about rumours that the extended edition from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will come in theaters before the release on DVD. The first article can be found here, the second one here. Both come from people who work in a cinema themselves, one in the UK and one in Denmark."

Comments

Yep

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as there's money to be had, you bet they'll do it.

Slashdot LoTR FAQ

[Anonymous Coward]

For those not familiar with the story...

Q: Is LoTR really based on Christian Mythology?

A: Yes. Tolkien wanted to demonstrate that even the mentally and physically challenged were capable of success and that therefore we should love everyone, regardless of their defects.

Q: So who represents the mentally and physically challenged?

A: Well obviously the hobbits are the physically challenged ones here, but the central mentally challenged figure is Gandalf, responsible for the most horrible attack plan in literature.

Q: What's so horrible about a poorly armed team of two hobbits infiltrating Mordor?

A: Well, basically it ignores the fundamental strengths of the forces of light. Anyone who's played C&C or Warcraft knows that if you have an advantage in air units, you have to use it. Remember that elves can ride eagles, and that elven archers are incredibly potent - early on, Gimli dismounts a Nazgul with a single shot! With about a thousand eagles (given elven archers on each one), the forces of good would have matched up pretty well in the air against Mordor's air units: all nine of them. While the leader of the Nazgul cannot be killed by any living man, this does not prevent a team of twenty eagles from tearing him to little shreds, especially if Gandalf rode along for help. So basically an air battle would have been brief unmitigated slaughter of the Nazgul as about a thousand eagle-mounted elves blew them out of the sky in a hail of arrows.

Q: But I thought that there was some other book that said that the eagles wouldn't help?

A: We're not talking about some other stupid book here, we're talking about the Lord of the Rings. And in this book, the eagles most definitely help out, first by flying Gandalf off the tower and secondly by pitching into the Final Battle in full force, attacking ground units (stupid!) at great risk to themselves. So obviously they would have been content to take part in a brief airborne slaughter of the Nazgul.

Q: Ok so you defeat all Mordor's air units... then what?

A: Well with air superiority, you command the skies. Which means that you can fly right over Mount Doom and drop anything you want right in there... like a ring. Mordor only had nine airborne units, and with them out of the way Mordor has absolutely no way to prevent anyone from flying anywhere.

Q: But the ring would corrupt the eagles trying to drop the ring in, silly.

A: Actually, the ring can only corrupt those who touch it or those in the nearby area. This is a trivial mechanism to defeat. The first step is permanently bind the ring to a weak and helpless creature, like a rat. Second step is of course to put the rat on a long rope, so that the creature holding the rope is out of the sway of the ring. Then the eagle carrying the rope, having total air superiority, flies over Mount Doom and drops the rat in the volcano. An utterly trivial victory.

Q: Ok, so why the elaborately stupid attack plan? Why send the physical rejects as the only hope of mankind?

A: The lesson is that, though they succeed at great cost and great risk, they are still capable of success. This, of course, was the lesson of the Holocaust - that we should never feel so superior to the weak or inferior that we decide they have no place. Even idiot tacticians like Gandalf and weak, pathetic creatures like Hobbits can add some value here & there.

Q: Wait a minute. I just saw the movie, and there's this scene where they're like "this is the last stand of the Men of the West", and all the men of the west are white, and they face of in total war against Indians on Elephants and "black orcs" (er... maybe we just call them "blacks" for short) and the white Men of the West achieve a total genocidal victory. Doesn't that invalidate what you just said?

A: Well, um, no. That's all fine & good, but remember that in the Holocaust we were committing genocide against white people - which is bad. But I'm not sure Tolkien had a problem with what you describe above - as you said, it's in the book.

Q: So, basically, we as white western men should never discriminate against our leaders even if their tactics and strategy are totally flawed, because we are inherently good and will always prevail?

A: Exactly.

Re:Slashdot LoTR FAQ

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe the lack of air support was a marketing decision - this was doing the rounds a while back:
-----
THE SYSADMIN OF THE RINGS

Management: The Ring MUST be destroyed.

Sysadmin: How do you want me to destroy the Ring?

Management: It must be dropped into the fires whence it was forged. Can you do it?

Sysadmin: Yes, but...

Management: Spare me the details, talk to the Project Officer.

Project Officer (unfolding plan): The Ring is currently in the possession of the Ringbearer, in The Shire, here. We need it dropped in Orodruin, here.

Sysadmin (glances at plan): That's easy, give me the Eagle King, I'll have him pick up the Ringbearer in the Shire, fly across Middle Earth, and drop Frodo straight into the fires of Mount Doom.

Project Officer: You can't do that!

Sysadmin: But it's the most elegant solution with the least overhead and minimal downtime.

Project Officer: Well, Marketing feel it would be a better epic struggle of Good vs. Evil if you did it as some sort of land-based quest.

Sysadmin (rolls eyes, thinks for a moment): OK then, give me an army of dwarves, they'll tunnel under Mount Doom, diverting its lava flow right up to the mines of Moria. Then Frodo can have an Elvish escort to the Misty Mountains, meet the lava half way, and drop the Ring in.

Project Officer: Mmmm, no. Budget won't allow such an extravagant solution. We're not made of money you know.

Sysadmin (thinks for a longer moment): OK, I can do it with just an army of Elves, but it'll be a close call.

Project Officer: Sorry, but that's out of the question. HR need us to represent all the races of Middle-Earth in the solution or it will conflict with our Equal Employment policy.

Sysadmin (thinks for a l-o-n-g, sullen, moment): RIGHT! Give me a dwarf, an elf, a wizard, two men and four hobbits. But first I'll have to re-route the Fellowship via the mines of Moria, as there's too much traffic in the gap of Rohan. Also, the firewall at Mordor means we'll need a consultant to hack another way in - and he'll probably turn out to be flaky. And it'll take until half way through the Fourth Age to do it.

Project Officer: That's too long! It has to be done by the end of the Third Age!

Sysadmin (smoke pouring out of ears): WHAT! OK, but we'll have to do it on practically no sleep,
run hundreds of leagues barefoot without rest, eating nothing but lembas to keep awake. By the time the Fellowship get anywhere near Mordor, Sauron's army will have hacked into Gondor, and most of Fangorn will have crashed to the ground. And there'll be a massive bottlenecks at Helm's Deep because there's not enough resources to handle the increased load. You can also expect the Shire to be scoured but then that's probably outside your terms of reference.

Project Officer: But can it be done?

Sysadmin: Yes, but...

Project Officer: Right then! Excellent! You could have just told me that at the start instead of being so difficult about it...

Special version of that?

[Iscariot_]

Hmmmmm... Makes me wonder... Will there be a special edition DVD for the theatrical release of the extended edition DVD?

Re:Special version of that?

[FortKnox]

Only in the complete special edition box set in part of the 23rd DVD.

Of course, this will only cost $139.95 which is inexpensive enough for hardcore and leasure fans to enjoy!

cool beans

[mnemonic_]

It'd be great if it did. Nothing quite like a theater viewing of such an epic film.

Re:cool beans

[Kenja]

My ass and bladder hurt just thinking about it.

Re:cool beans

[TheGavster]

Only if the theatre has toilets instead of seats, or holds an intermission ...

Re:cool beans

[EvanED]

Oooo! I know! We'll put it at the climax. just as the heros are crossing the Bridge of De... oh wait, wrong movie...

Re:cool beans

[frankmu]

this is all you need stadium pal

for fecal material, i recomend an enema prior to watching the movie

I think I speak for everyone when I say...

[blue_adept]

I HOPE SO!!

I would gladly shell out the money to see the extended edition in the theater.

Re:I think I speak for everyone when I say...

[ScottGant]

Wow, how many young-uns do we have around here?

There have always been long long movies. "Gone With the Wind" had an intermission in the middle (right after the "as God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" speech).

Ben Hur, The Ten Commandants, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago...all are very long movies.

It's the media again. They think that only things are happening right now, as if for the first time to "make" the news. Like when these idiots go out on a live remote at an expressway in Chicago when it's snowing as if "what is this white stuff falling from the sky?!?! are the gods angry with us!?!?!". Gee, it's only been snowing in Chicago in the winter for what...10,000 years or so?

All New ROTK

[psycht]

Now with even MORE endings!

Re:All New ROTK

[RedA$$edMonkey]

... With all new "Hobbits Gone Wild" footage, uncensored! See what they really mean by hobbit holes.

Re:All New ROTK

[Exatron]

I thought that was only supposed to be available in the deviant hobbit fancier edition?

Re:All New ROTK

[AKnightCowboy]

Now with even MORE endings!

I hope they flesh out that one ending where Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf get on the boat with the elves and sail away. WTF was that all about? It made it seem like they were all going to die, yet Frodo and Gandalf looked fine. Were they committing suicide on the high seas? Maybe it would've been more clear if I had read the books, but the movie should explain it well enough so one doesn't have to resort to that. I don't have time for books anymore which is why I rely on getting my culture through hit movies.

Re:All New ROTK

[Poeir]

They were headed across the ocean, to the Grey Havens, where elves go instead of dying. I can't speak with authority on why Frodo and Gandalf were let in, but Gandalf was an Istari (so was Saruman, but he fell from grace) and, like Frodo, was a ring-bearer.

Re:All New ROTK

[Lane.exe]

Fortunately, I can speak on authority.
The "Grey Havens" were where they left from. They were going to the Blessed Realm of Aman, specifically to the city of Valinor where the gods live. It's kind of like dying, because 1) it's paradise and 2) you don't get to come back. Gandalf being an Istari (which is just Quenya for wise) means that he was one of the Maiar, a race of demiurgic beings similar to the lower choirs of angels in Christian mythology. He was born in the West, in Valinor, and so he gets to go back. All of the Elves who originally went to Aman from Middle Earth in the First Age (including Galadriel and Elrond) also get to come to the West when they are ready. Frodo and the other Ring-bearers get to go because they touched a ring of power, and this makes them special.
And actually, yes... I did take a class on this shit.

Re:All New ROTK

[Colazar]

Right on all counts except one.

All of the Elves who originally went to Aman from Middle Earth in the First Age (including Galadriel and Elrond) also get to come to the West when they are ready.

Actually, *all* of the Elves get to go to Valinor, even the ones who haven't been there before. Only a very few of the Elves in Middle Earth in the Third Age had ever been to Valinor (Galadriel, for one), most either refused to go in the first place, or have been born since then (like Elrond).

It's also worth mentioning that Sam eventually goes West, since he was (for a brief time) a ring-bearer. It is also suggested that Gimli goes, too, though I don't remember what allows him to go.

Re:All New ROTK

[Squozen]

It might have been clear if you'd paid attention to the repeated references throughout all three films of the imminent departure of the elves to the Grey Havens.

Did you miss the entire leave/stay subplot with Elrond and Arwen?

Re:All New ROTK

[DarkMantle]

I bow to your vast knowledge of the realms of middle earth. Finally someone else to converse in elvish with.

Re:All New ROTK

[Knara]

To extrapolite a little more geekily:

First there was Ilúvatar:

"The name among Elves of Eru, the One, from whom the Ainur had their being. Through the Music of the Ainur, Ilúvatar created the World and the beings who inhabit it, and only he fully knows its fate."

Then the Ainur:

The primordial spirits, who existed with Ilúvatar, and with Him created the world through the Music of the Ainur. After the creation of Arda, many of the Ainur descended into it to guide and order its growth; of these there were fifteen more powerful than the rest. Fourteen of these great Ainur became the Valar, or Powers of Arda. The fifteenth, Melkor, turned aside from that path and became the first Dark Lord. The many lesser Ainur that accompanied the Valar into Arda are known as Maiar.

"'Valar' is the name given to the fourteen powerful spirits who took physical form and entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction long ages before the Awakening of the Elves they removed to Aman and there founded the realm of Valinor."

On the Maiar:

"Of the many spirits that descended into Arda at its beginning, those of lesser stature than the Valar, though they were still powerful, were known as Maiar. Each of the Maiar was attached to the 'people' of a particular Vala. So, for example, the Maia Ossë, as a spirit of the sea, belonged to the people of Ulmo, while Curumo, the Maia who came to Middle-earth as Saruman, belonged to the people of Aulë the Smith.

In the Third Age, there were still Maiar in physical form to be found in Middle-earth. The most important of these were Saruman, Sauron (originally also of Aulë's people), and Olórin, known as Gandalf, who belonged to the people of Manwë and Varda. " (Manwë and Varda are, in essense, the King and Queen of Arda; Arda being Elder Speech for the world and all taht is in it)

Notably speaking of Gandalf:

"In origin a Maia of Manwë and Varda, Gandalf came to the northwest of Middle-earth after a thousand years of the Third Age had passed, with four others of his order. At the Grey Havens, Círdan entrusted him with the Red Ring, Narya, to aid him in contesting the will of Sauron.

Gandalf wandered widely in Middle-earth, and learned much of its races and peoples. Unlike his fellow Wizards Saruman and Radagast, he never settled in a single place. He was instrumental in the victory of the War of the Ring, but during that conflict he battled with a Balrog, and though he was ultimately victorious, his spirit left his body, but was sent back to Middle-earth to complete his task.

Gandalf finally left Middle-earth in 3021 (Third Age), when he departed over the sea with the Ring-bearers."

And no, I didn't memorize all this, but everyone who is curious about the twisty, turny, more-involved than any sane fiction should be world of Middle Earth should check out The Encyclopedia of Arda

Longer??

[SIGALRM]

Extended version would be shown in a select number of cinemas

As much as I loved LOTR/ROTK, it felt drawn out in places (especially the many endings). I'm not so sure I want to see an even longer version.

Re:Longer??

[xenophrak]

As with the two films before ROtK, I felt that there were places that were cut poorly, or didn't fit well together.

Once I saw the finished extended editions, they were a more pleasant experience.

After the "two-hour" limit is removed (even though ROtK was > 2 hours) it made a good deal of difference to the final output.

I expect that ROtK EE will be in the same vein.

Re:Longer??

[brysnot]

I hope they draw it out longer. A three hour nap just wasn't long enough.

Re:Longer??

[Dachannien]

I liked most of the endings. The one that I thought was poorly cut was where Frodo and Sam are on that rock in the middle of a bunch of lava, crying and blubbering and whatnot, and the screen fades to black.... and then fades back in, to the same shot of them still blubbering on the same damn rock!

Will it hit cinemas? Of course!!

[feed_those_kitties]

As long as there is more money to be made, or even suspected of being made -- it will be in your local multi-plex someday...

I love the movies

[Neil Blender]

But I think I'll watch the extended versions in the confort of my own home. Movie theaters don't have pause buttons.

Re:I love the movies

[jdray]

No kidding. I could barely sit through the original theatrical release without having a theatrical release of my own.

I can't wait

[demonbug]

until I can get the LOTR:ROTK WS EE DVD for my DLP HDTV - I only use DVI IC's for superior IQ.

Article Text

[th1ckasabr1ck]

Getting very slow already, so here it is (not much):

Article one:

Extended Editions Headed to the Cinema?
7/06/04, 9:43 pm EST - Xoanon

Gandalf of Denmark writes: I work in a cinema in Denmark, and on the latest list of releases, it was mentioned that in mid-October Lotr 1,2 & 3 Extended version would be shown in a select number of cinemas. It would seem likely that they are showing the extended versions, a few months ahead of them coming out on dvd, so the December release, seems like a good bet for the dvd's so far.

Article two:

Further Evidence ROTK EE Coming to Theaters
7/07/04, 11:59 am EST - Celeborn

Ringer Baggins of the Shire sends in this tidbit: I work for Odeon cinema chain in the UK, we recieved a letter on Tuesday 6th July explaining that during October the 3 extended editions of the Lord Of The Rings films will be shown on Sunday's. This means ROTK EE will be shown before it is available to buy on DVD!

Hmm...

[Cyno01]

Hope theres an intermission, or else a free catheter with every ticket. They should do what they did when it was originally released. They showed FotR EE, TTT EE and RotK back to back the day before RotK opened. That sold out around the country in a matter of hours. I'd be even more willing to sit through all 3 EEs in the theatre. With that said i'm still waiting on the RotK EE Platinum Collectors Boxed Set to go with my other two...

See the Flying Palantir?

[eamacnaghten]

Maybe the scene where the Wormtoungue throws the Palantír at the fellowship - one of my favourite scenes from the book - filmed but sadly cur from the film....

Re:See the Flying Palantir?

[AuMatar]

They cut the scene between Gandalf and Saruman at Isengard twice so far (seriously pissing Christopher Lee off). I'd hope they don't do it again.

Holy crap

[transient]

Extended edition? You mean I saw the short version!?

Marathon Catheter Madness

[Cordath]

I am willing to bet there will be theaters which offer screenings of all three extended editions, back to back. Let's do the math:

12 hours of LOTR
+ Pshychotic LOTR-crazed fans
+ several hundred litres of movie-theater pseudo-soda
+ no catheters
-----
= one helluva carpet cleaning bill

and you can bet that those theaters will be full of psychotic LOTR-crazed fans... You can also bet that such a theater would be a great place to sell special movie-theater priced catheters to go with the special movie-theater priced colas...

in the cinema?

[rickbrodie]

Well, i live in Britain and I don't recall the cinemas showing the extended versions of the first two films before they were released on dvd. I wish they had, cos that would have been well worth it.

For each of the three films, i was pretty disappointed when i saw them in the cinema for the first time. Yes, they were pretty spectacular, but they just were not as great as i'd hoped. Yet, several months later, when i bought the extended version on dvd and watched it, i found myself to be much more impressed. Those extra half hours in each of the films makes a very real difference. Getting the chance to see the "proper" version on the big screen would certainly make the wait for the dvd a little more bearable ^_^

It seems a little strange (assuming my memory is to be trusted on this) that they would choose to show only the last of the trilogy in the cinemas. Unless of course they mean to show all three (now that would be worth waiting for.)

Ow, it hurts already

[Sean80]

Geez, my ass already hurts just thinking of sitting through this sucker in the theater.

My wife and I have already spent the GNP of a small African nation going to see these movies (what was it, 5 times for FOTR, 4 for TTT and 3 for ROTK, plus a shyteload of popcorn and hot dogs) and I guess we'll be in the theaters to see this as well.

I myself have no problem giving my money away to this particular cause though. Damn good movies, and they're absolutely worth every last penny.

Re:Will it hit cinemas? Of course!!

[mdvlspwn99]

and we'll all take it hook, line, and sinker!

So, when do I get in line?

Festival Setting

[ndavidg]

This would need to be in a festival-type setting where you can walk around, shop for LOTR-related items, buy a soda, burger or pizza slice, and get sprayed with water.

Sitting in the theatre for three hours without so much as an intermission was difficult enough, I could not imagine a full day of sitting on my ass without moving. My legs would fall asleep and I would have to crawl out of the theatre.

Most of the people I've talked to feel that three hours was too long time without an intermission.

Re:Festival Setting

[chochos]

I could not imagine a full day of sitting on my ass without moving

Have you never heard of the Summer of George?

Re:Festival Setting

[tgd]

I could not imagine a full day of sitting on my ass without moving.

Don't work in software, do you?

Re:Cinema is selling out waaay too much...

[AuMatar]

The difference is that the LotR extendeds DO add to the film. That extra half hour in the past two added so much from the book that was cut due to time constraints. For people who love Tolkien's work, the extended is definitely the far better film, and seeing it in theater would be awesome.

Both previous extended versions released in UK

[plesur]

I saw both of the extended versions of Fellowship and Two Towers at a cinema in the UK in the two weeks leading up to the release of ROTK. Well worth seeing first on the big screen, so I'll be looking out for the extended ROTK (and the triple-bill extended all-dayer!)

Re:Way to milk it for every ounce...

[AuMatar]

So they should have released one 10 hour movie?

The Lord of the Rings was too large and had too much happening to be done in one film. The book itself is split into 3 volumes. As it is, they probably should have shot 6 movies to match the 6 books Tolkien wrote, they had to cut out way too much.

Do you honestly think the 3rd movie was stand alone? You'd have no character advancement, missed all the buildup on the ring and the world of middle earth, and started with 2 guys wandering in a swamp and a bunch of others in a military camp. It wouldn't have made sense. Do you dislike the Star Wars trilogy too?

For Comparison...

[the_skywise]

The first two movies clocked in at around 2 and a half hours. The extended editions put them both around the 3 and a half hours.

ROTK STARTED at 3 and a half hours... How long is the *extended* edition going to be!?!

(and will it include the destruction of Hobbiton scenes?)

Re:For Comparison...

[jimhill]

sigh

No, the extended RotK will not include the Scouring of the Shire. It wasn't even filmed.

Re:For Comparison...

[Bloody Pulp]

IMDB indicates that the extended edition is 250 minutes.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0167260/combined

Re:For Comparison...

[jdbo]

Here's the general info:

FOTR theatrical: ~ 3 hours
FOTR EE: ~ 3 hours, 30 minutes (not counting the "fan credits" tacked to the end, which take a -long- time to run)
diff: 30 minutes

TTT theatrical: ~ 3 hours
TTT EE: ~ 3 hours, 40 minutes
diff: 40 minutes

ROTK theatrical: ~ 3 hours, 20 minutes (incl. 8 minutes of credits)
ROTK EE (announced): ~ 4 hours, 10 minutes
diff: 50 minutes

(The "Scouring..." chapter was never filmed (outside of a series of "hommage" shots shown in the "Mirror of Galadriel" sequence of FOTR; however, scenes depicting the fate of Saruman himself have been announced for inclusion.)

For FOTR and TTT the new footage was re-integrated into the main film, and significant parts of the score re-recorded to accomodate these changes.

As someone who has watched both the theatrical and EE cuts multiple times (and expierenced the "Trilogy Tuesday" oening of ROTK last December), I am confident that the ROTK EE will improve the pacing and characterization issues of ROTK (that also afflicted FOTR and TTT) in the same way that the EEs improved those films*.

While additional eye candy and additional treats for those who want to see "more of the books" onscreen are more or less a given for these EEs, it's actually the pacing changes and deeper characterization thatmakes the EEs improvements over the theatrical cuts.

* For those who wonder about the whole "EEs feel shorter" assertion, here's a quick explanation: while the EEs are longer in timespan, the more measured pacing in the EEs gives more chances to the audience to breathe and "catch up" with the events of the film, while becoming more familiar with the characters; more varied pacing allows the audience to re-engage and become more involved with the characters and their experiences, thereby extending their patience for long sequences and making the film "feel shorter" to them despite the longer running time.

Here I go again...

[geekwench]

The fangirl in me is shouting "squeeee!" and hyperventilating like the soon-to-be-ravished heroine of a bodice-ripper romance novel. However, the practical (and far more sensible) part of me is holding out for a release date. I refuse to go back into training for the sit-in-the-uncomfortable-seat-for-3-plus-hours marathon before I absolutely have to.

(And no, sitting around while reading /. doesn't count. My sofa is very comfortable, thank you.)

Re:Here I go again...

[H0ek]

OK, like much of the Slashdot readership, I had a really difficult time getting past the first sentence. I'm happily reading the latest in geek rants about catheterization when suddenly I'm struck with a comment the references bodice-ripping.

As much as I appreciate the comment, please, no more, or my wife will regret me coming home from work.

Re:Here I go again...

[kahei]

The first sentence of that post is one of the sexiest things I have ever read.

Does this mean..

[jjholt1213]

That in 5 years we will have Lord of the Rings prequil trillogy and see the transformation of the White Wizard into the right hand of ultimate evil??

Re:Does this mean..

[Tebriel]

Saurman really was a little hobbit who grew up enslaved in Hobbiton. And Rangers aren't long lived because of their ties to elves, but due to contracting a bacterial infection at an early age.

Re:Cinema is selling out waaay too much...

[Clock Nova]

You also have to keep in mind that Peter Jackson stated publicly, before any DVDs were released, that there would be two editions of each movie, and that fans were free to choose which one they wanted to buy. Of course, that didn't stop some people from buying both. But this is not the same thing as, say, releasing four unique editions of Terminator 2 on DVD, with very little to differentiate them, or selling a "Collector's Edition" of the Mummy that wasn't even in widescreen, then immediately releasing an "Ultimate Edition" in widescreen and with more extras. At no time has Peter Jackson or New Line attempted to cheat or otherwise expoit their fanbase. Please remember that before you start complaining again.

Re:Cinema is selling out waaay too much...

[Lispy]

Yeah, I know. As I said before, I really enjoyed the film and I read the book several times. What's more is that I didn't give credit to Jackson who is actually working at another piece of original art (the KingKong movie).

But still, I can't shake the feeling that the whole business got greedy to the point that it starts to make the industry look bad. Say what you want about Michael Moore but when he said that he didn't care if people download his movie he had a point. They are making "enough" money, and filesharing won't kill cinema.

I could have downloaded LOTR but I rather spent the money on the movie since it was worth it. But bringing the same movie on the screen, over and over again is just lame. I like double features, though. But please no more OBVIOUS ripoffs... ;-)

Re:Article Text -- Cristopher Lee

[TMacPhail]

Despite Sauruman's absense, the movie still worked. It should be good to put him back in though. I too would have liked the scouring of the shire, but you have to face it, it isnt going to happen. They didnt film it.

Re:is this the one...

[ThePlague]

Well, sort of: in this version, Frodo isn't seduced by the ring just before he's about to throw it into Mount Doom. Rather, he still has it around his neck, and Gollum bites off his finger for no good reason.

Re:Marathon!

[dwheeler]

Don't forgot breaks for second breakfast, elevensies, ...

MOD PARENT SIDEWAYS!!

[Trikenstein]

either right or left will do.

Tink Kyew

Extended is better? Not necessarily.

[timealterer]

While extended versions can be great for people who "just can't get enough" of their favourite franchise, they can be annoying to those who just like movies. For example, while I like The Matrix movies, but if that robots-coming-through-the-roof-and-being-shot scene went any longer, I'd be reaching for my fast-forward button.

Of course the Extended Collectors' Editions are made with fans in mind, but sometimes that's the only one you can buy in the store. I ended up with the Extended edition of The Lion King, for example, that stuff that was new to me and took away from the nostalgia and wanes the kids' attentions pan. Just my $2/100.

The Elves...

[devphil]

...can go to Valinor whenever they feel like it. Frodo and Sam pass such a group in the extended first DVD, and in the books there's a much longer sequence involving them.

(And there's no rush; the "last ship" in the movies wasn't about to sail, because there was no last ship. Plenty of Elves were left in Middle-Earth, and Cirdan "sail all you want, we'll make more" the Graybearded just kept building the damn things...)

Galadriel, however, was special. She was the only remaining one of the Noldor who had been banned from Valinor. (The others were dead or had returned.) The ban was rescinded at the end of the First Age. She was still too proud for her own good, though, and refused to accept the invitation. Also, she was one of the first to rebel, so the Valar were not keen on letting her back in.

Once she had learned how to get along with others, and in reward for her work against Sauron, the invitation was re-extended to her, and she accepted. So in her case, yeah, she had to wait until she was ready.

How about seeing the /second/ palantir at all?!

[devphil]

I was greatly disappointed that Denethor was never revealed to have been using another palantir (as was his right and duty as Steward). The movie portrays him as generally being a hardass until he goes insane, but the book shows that Sauron had played a large part in driving him insane via the palantir.

Hey, whatever it takes

[realmolo]

I'm all for anything that keeps all those loser LOTR fans locked up in a dark room for hours on end.

Re:Crazy

[Anonvmous Coward]

"Should I be on the edge of my seat for the 30 DVD LOTR box set?"

That depends, are you a fan of LoTR? I heard somewhere that if you aren't that interested in it, you don't actually have to buy it.

Gimli

[ThousandStars]

It is also suggested that Gimli goes, too, though I don't remember what allows him to go.

Actually, it's not suggested that Gimli departs, it's stated in the Appendices to The Return of the King.

"1541: In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set besides the bed of the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down the Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-earth to the Fellowship of the Ring."

I don't feel like looking it up, but I recall that Gimli was allowed into the West because of his great friendship with Legolas and Galadriel.

Also, this post addresses a question elsewhere in this thread: there is no hard time limit on when Elves can depart from the Havens; in fact, Galadriel, Elrond and others tarry for a few years in Middle Earth, after the destruction of the One Ring. Those that stay longer, however, were subject to a sort of fading. That is what the Three, the Elven rings, were forged to protect against. Thus those Elves who wielded the rings held the the memory of the Elder days.

What ultimately happens to Elves who remained in Middle Earth is never explicitly stated so far as I know.

HAHAHAHA--please people, this joke is old

[rd_syringe]

Why do we have to suffer through idiotic "super duper 23rd special bronze edition" jokes in every single LOTR article?

Since 2001, it's always been standard release, then extended. Nothing more, nothing less, and they've been upfront since the beginning.

Oh, yeah, I forgot, hahahahaha, yeah, multiple versions of a DVD! MPAA sux0r!

Re:Extended Edition eh?

[Strenoth]

Actually, what I bet he's really wishing is that he'd PATENTED it.

LOTR EE

[swingwing]

This is the way it should have happened...... Gandalf: That ring is bad news, Frodo, it must be destroyed. Frodo: How so? Gandalf: It must be placed in the fires of Mount Doom. Frodo: Oh well, I guess that means a lot of walking, camping and then running away from monsters, lots of death and almost losing all my friends? Galdalf: Nah, I know some big eagles that can fly us straight to the mountain and we can drop it in the lava. We'll be home by tea. Frodo: Nice one!

READ THE BOOK

[DarkMantle]

People are complaining about length, content, and many endings... READ THE BOOK and find out how much longer it would have been if Peter Jackson didn't cut alot of it out. (My best guess is a set of 7-9 three hour movies)

I'm waiting for the Michael Moore cut

[eetiiyupy]

Y'know with Gandalf driving around in the ice-cream truck warning of impending doom

The elves that remained...

[leadsling]

They eventually began to shrink in stature and began to live in the trees, taking up occupations such as shoe cobbling and baking.

Faded Elves

[stewate4]

The Elves that remained behind in Middle-earth 'faded' into some sort of spirit world, in fact the same one that the Nazgul inhabit, and that Frodo started to enter when he was wounded by the Witch King. The Elves were supposed to inhabit both worlds at that time, and Frodo sees one of them, Glorfindel, as he is in this other world as a bright figure. In the films he sees Arwen in much the same way. Tolkien does in fact describe briefly what a faded Elf would be like in Morgoths Ring (in the Laws and Customs of the Eldar from the last version Quenta Silmarillion in that book - the published Silmarillion was adapted from this and other writings). Here he calls these faded Elves Lingers, in contrast to the Houseless souls of elves who have died violent deaths and not been reincarnated. Here he says;

"...Moreover, the Lingerers are not houseless, though they may seem to be. They do not desire bodies, neither do they seek shelter, nor strive for mastery over body or mind. Indeed they do not seek converse with Men at all, save maybe rarely, either for the doing of some good, or because they perceive in a Man's spirit some love of things ancient and fair. Then they may reveal to him their forms (through his mind working outwardly, maybe), and he will behold them in their beauty.....For the hearts of True Men uprise in joy to behold the true likenesses of the First-born, their elder kindred; and this joy nothing evil can counterfeit"

This was in a note supposedly added by the 9th century English mariner Aelfwine who met them, and was supposed to have copied all the Elvish legends and histories from faded Elves he met on an island in the Western oceans he found on one of his voyages. The contrast with Houseless souls of elves is interesting, as these were basically the Evil Dead of Middle-earth. Elsewhere in Morgoths Ring it says;

"Some say that the Houseless desire bodies, though they are not willing to seek them lawfully by submission to the judgement of Mandos. The wicked among them will take bodies, if they can, unlawfully. The peril of communing with them is, therefore, not only the peril of being deluded by fantasies or lies: there is a peril also of destruction. For one of the hungry Houseless, if it is admitted to the friendship of the Living, may seek to eject the fe"a from its body; and in the contest for mastery the body may be gravely injured, even if it is not wrested from its rightful habitant. Or the Houseless may plead for shelter, and if it is admitted, then it will seek to enslave its host and use both his will and his body for its own purposes. It is said that Sauron did these things, and taught his followers how to achieve them"

Sauron was called the Necromancer in the Hobbit, and the last sentence in this paragraph explains why.

Re:Way to milk it for every ounce...

[stanmann]

Actually if you skip those scenes, you get Lord of the rings and Return of the King And we all know how great those were.

Re:Way to milk it for every ounce...

[Creedo]

I think that Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series would be great in miniseries format....