Archive through November 22, 2002
TV ClubHouse: archive: Movies Sept 2002 - April 2003:
Lord of the Rings:
Archive through November 22, 2002
Vanillarose | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 10:55 pm     We just enjoyed a fabulous famiily movie night. We ordered LOTR on PPV. We saw it when it came out last year, and it was just as fabulous the second time around! We also taped it, so we'll be able to enjoy it any time we like. Tolkien's story was so very amazing, and I'm so glad that the movie was so true to the story, with a few minor exceptions. LOTR is one phenomenal movie!!!! |
Webkitty | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 06:55 am     I saw this twice when it was first out in theaters. I was so "into" the world of MiddleEarth when I was a young teen, I read the whole Trilogy twice over (including The Hobbit) When I saw the trailers for LOTR, I got goosebumps, it LOOKED like SOMEONE had finally gotten it right. I went to the theater that night with SUCH high expectations. I sat there nervously waiting and figiting, I could just feel the anticipation of the crowd in the air. My husband was amused and happy for me. He kept patting me and saying, "it will be OK honey!" The lights went down, the trailers were over, it was showtime! From the very first opening words and scenes, I was awestruck to the point of tears! All I could keep thinking was JRR would be SO proud. It was powerful, it was serious, (thankyou Mr. Jackson for not trivializing it) the cinematography was breathtaking, the acting was first rate, the casting was right on, and the special efforts were amazing. The (almost) three house flew by. I gave myself up to it, I let all my years drop from me and I was a teen again, it was magical. As we were leaving the theater, I looked around and could see from the happy faces and shining eyes that I wasn't the only one who felt satisfied. Peter Jackson took the almost impossible task of bringing MiddleEarth to life to the satisfaction of long time rabid fans and worked a piece of magic here. He reached inside my imagination and splashed it up in on the screen for all to see. Although he was nominated for best director, he didn't win. He has two more chances, keeping fingers crossed! I would love it if he did The Hobbit too, it derserves the same Peter Jackson treatment. I am going to have to say this was my favorite movie of all time. The reason being that it lived up to every expectation I had. I want to see it again on PPV but I'm afraid that it will lose something not being on the "big screen" (I'm sure I'll cave though) If you are reading this and have never read The Trilogy or the THe Hobbit, or did and somehow the magic of MiddleEarth escaped you, than you might not "get" the raves (it depends on your taste in movies) and you probably won't have stars in your eyes for it like I do. Just a warning. PS: if you do, then welcome aboard!! There's always more room in MiddleEarth for another fan PPS: sorry to sound like a nutcase here, but as a fan of JRR Tolkien (and now Peter Jackson) I wanted to give this movie the dramatic review (I) think it deserves.  |
Vanillarose | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 07:16 am     Webkitty, I completely understand!!! I was so into Tolkien when I was in my teens, as well, and when I saw the movie for the first time in theaters, I also was in awe!!! LIke you, I could not believe that someone had got it right!!! Luckily, I have a teenage son who is into LOTR also (heehee, I must say, I'm glad I've passed that on!) and my husband, who is not much of a reader and has never even read The Hobbit enjoyed the movie! |
Cjr | Saturday, September 14, 2002 - 07:42 pm     I must admit I never read Tolkien (loved to read, not sure why I missed them) and my 15 year old son had to beg me to go last year to see LOTR (he has read the Trilogy and The Hobbit several times) and it was amazing! I still can't believe that I got into the movie so much. I can't wait until the next one is out. |
Reiki | Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 02:47 pm     These books are still favorites of mine. I re-read them every few years or so. Tolkien set the pace for this genre that everyone else has tried to follow. He is the acknowledged master. I was highly anticipating the movie(s) finally being made. I questioned some of the decisions made in transferring the books into the films. I took the day off work and went to see the movie on the opening day. As the movie began I forgot about all my doubts and became lost in the movie. There is one scene in where Gandalf and Bilbo are standing at Bilbo's front door. The scenery of the Shire in the background could have been lifted from a drawing done by Tolkien himself of the same view. There were some disappointments. I missed Tom Bombadil and I missed Strider's reveal at the Prancing Pony as Aragorn. (See my profile quote for the poem that should have been included there). I can't wait for the next 2 installments to come out and for the DVD "director's cut" boxed set. In the meantime, I have my well-worn paperback edition and my own imagination. |
Hermione69 | Monday, September 16, 2002 - 07:07 pm     I loved this movie. I confess to being a very big Harry Potter fan (my username kind of gives that away to anyone familiar with the Harry books) and LOTR was released about a month after HP and the Sorcerer's Stone. LOTR got better reviews and kept being compared more favorably to HP and so I kind of had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder before I saw the movie. I mean, Harry's my boy! But when I saw LOTR, I was swept up in the magic from the first scene and I am so glad that I went to the theater to see it. I have a hearing loss and see very few movies in the theater, but I found an open caption version showing of LOTR and my brother and I went to see that. So amazing! HP and LOTR are very different and very similar at the same time; its amazing how two stories can be so alike, yet so different. I have to admit the LOTR movie had a lot more depth than the HP film. The characters were perfectly cast and oh, it was just a beautifully done movie... the effects, the characters, the scenery, the story..... When the credits started to roll, I had a fit! I could not believe that 3 hours had passed and that I had to wait a year to see the next one! Now it is only 3 months and I still can't wait to see the Two Towers! |
Ocean_Islands | Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 11:23 am     I can't wait for the Two Towers either. I saw Fellowship of the Ring three times and will see it more when I get the DVD. |
Azriel | Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 01:44 pm     I can't wait for it, too, OI. I really enjoyed Fellowship of the Ring. They did such an excellent job of bringing the book to life. |
Yankee_In_Ca | Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 02:49 pm     Fellowship of the Ring is AMAZING! I have seen it now three times -- once on the big screen, and twice now on the DVD I bought. I do have to say, though, that it does lose something on my 27-inch TV! I can't wait to see the Two Towers, but especially because I actually got to see some of the sets when I was in New Zealand in 2000 -- and they were absolutely spectacular in person! In fact, I've seen snippets of the Two Towers, and the most amazing set I saw (set in a wide, sweeping valley between two mountain ridges) is definitely in this movie! Woo-hoo! |
Wargod | Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 02:58 pm     First, Webkitty.....I'm going to be doing some synopsis' of independent films.....if you could just loan me your brain and writing skill for that, I'll do great! Excellent post! Second.....I loved this movie! The scenery in it was absolutely breathtaking, the acting great, and it was plain exciting! I have to admit....I've only read the first two books of the trilogy (just couldn't get into the novels, which is weird for me.) But from what I remember the movie followed the book dead on. I did buy this on DVD, and while hubby has watched it a couple times, I have yet to see it since the theater. But, I'll tell you, its one of the best I've seen in a long time! |
Romans8_1 | Friday, September 27, 2002 - 10:40 am     It immediately jumped into my top 10 favorite movie list. I've read the trilogy+Hobbit at least 5 times in my life. I love to read it every couple of years and I always get something new out of it. I too second everything that Webkitty said. I think Jackson did such a wonderful job with the movie, that words cannot express the thanks I have for him in taking this to film. It was amazing how he was able to capture the full essence of the book. I might go so far as to say that this is the best book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen. From someone who know this series in great detail, I found myself glued to the screen. I ... can't ... wait... for the next movie. |
Spygirl | Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 01:20 pm     Whew...I'm catching up. I just watched the movie for the first time on DVD. After watching the show and reading this thread, I cannot wait to get the books. I can't believe as much as I read that I've overlooked this trilogy. I'm still stunned since the movie just ended 10 minutes ago...stunning movie! I didn't catch it on the big screen, but I'll be sure not to miss the next one. When is the release date? Anyone know? |
Reiki | Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 03:00 pm     Spy, The Two Towers will open on December 18th. The third movie will open the following year. I can't wait until I can get the box set on DVD in 2004! When the first movie opened last year I took the day off work. I will probably do the same thing this year. I'm not sure if I would encourage trying to read the books before you see the film or not. I like Romans have read the trilogy, the Hobbit and The Sillmarion (which is kind of like reading a Middle Earth history book) every couple of years since I was about 13. So I've probably read them more than 10 or 12 times. (You do the math!) If you like the movies and have never read the books try finding the BBC radio adaptation of the Lord of the Rings on tape (or on CD now I suppose). This radio play follows the books faithfully. And in an neat twist Ian Holm, who plays Bilbo in the movie - was the voice of Frodo in the radio version. |
Spygirl | Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 03:45 pm     Thanks, Reiki! December 18th is marked on my calendar. I'll be heading out that night to watch it for sure. I think I will wait to read the books until after I've seen all the movies. Then, I'm gonna read everything. I just finished watching the special features disc that comes with the DVD, and it lured me in even more. It was really great to be able to watch the movie having absolutely zero idea what the heck it was all about -- and when I say zero, I mean zero. That's the way I prefer to watch movies and/or read books. With books, I don't even read the synopsis on the covers. I just finished the 4 Harry Potter books last week and it carries a strikling similar message and storyline. LOTR is obviously darker and for a slightly more adult audience (no 9 or 10 year olds in this one), but similar nonetheless. In addition, the LOTR storyline reminded me slightly of the Nintendo adventure game Zelda (I'm a huge Zelda fan). Many similarities -- young boy (Prodo looks startling like Link), fate of the world is in his hands, meets people along the way who help him, success is ultimately up to him and him alone, the elves are like the fairies in the game offering him replenshing rest and temporary safety, etc. Anyway, maybe farfetched, but that's what I noticed. Great experience watching this show. I can't imagine there are people out there who hate it as vehemently as I've heard. Amazing. |
Reiki | Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 09:44 pm     Spy you are not imagining a resemblence. There is a definite "link" between LOTR and Dungeon and Dragon type games which evolved into computer/video games such as Zelda. Notice how many of those games include a "fellowship"? A reluctant or untried hero joined in a quest of some sort. There is usually a wizard like character, a knight/ranger of some sort, dwarves, elves and various otherworldy creatures. Was Tolkien the first do use this type of literary device? Hardly. But the popularity of The Hobbit and the trilogy is what spawned much of the interest in fantasy literature/art/games, etc. |
Ocean_Islands | Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 12:24 pm     Ok I got the new LOTR dvd which just came out yesterday. This has the extended version film on it. It was great. It's hard to believe that they cut some of the things that are now in this extended version. How could they have done that? Well it's now 3.46 hours long but that's not a good reason to have cut some of those scenes. There are some poignant scenes that bring a greater richness to what is happening in Middle Earth. Here are some of the things you see in the extended version: Boromir and Aragorn argue. Wood elves appear near Hobbiton. Gandalf explains who Smeagol is. Aragorn sings about Berien and Luthien. We see Nenya. Samwise gets a silken rope. Celeborn speaks. Gimli swears in dwarvish. |
Kitt | Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 01:39 pm     From the commercials advertising the extended dvd, it sounded like they had created those extra scenes just for the dvd (as opposed to having produced them for the movie and had to cut them). Does it say anywhere on the dvd whether that's right, or did I misunderstand? It's an odd idea if they did that, but it must boost sales! We rented the first dvd and there were quite a lot of extras on there... now of course we have to rent this new one! |
Ocean_Islands | Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 04:21 pm     No, they were not created for the dvd-- it was footage that did not get into the original film. |
Djgirl5235 | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 11:54 am     Do you know what I did? I ordered two copies of the new version from Amazon, and they arrived yesterday - I opened up the package all excited, and what do I find inside? 2 copies of the widescreen VHS of the original movie........how disappointed was I? I guess I wasn't paying attention when I ordered them in the first place. Now I'm going to have to go out and just buy one copy (for my brother) of the DVD, and HOPE that someone gets me a copy for Christmas... |
Crazydog | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 01:00 pm     Djgirl, you can't exchange them? I thought Amazon will take stuff back. Especially if it's a tape and hasn't been opened. |
Ocean_Islands | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 02:48 pm     God that would be horrible! You can return those for a refund. Then just go to your local store and buy a copy -- it's faster. I bought my copy the day it came out at 6.30 pm, began it at 7.30, and was done by 11.30! |
Halfunit | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 03:47 pm     DJ- Amazon should be really good about returning them. Is there anything about returns on your packing list? I received mine today from cdnow.com (.80 cheaper than Amazon, but Amazon had free shipping) and can't wait for hubby to come home from work so we can watch it together. I have learned one thing - When The Two Towers comes out on DVD, I am WAITING for the extended version! I now have two copies of LOTR, lol. |
Crazydog | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 04:57 pm     I really hate when movie studios put out a DVD and then a year later they release a Very Special Super Special Edition. The movies that I know of that this has happened to are The Mummy, Entrapment, The Usual Suspects, Pearl Harbor and now LOTR. At least with Pearl Harbor they warned people in advance. And with LOTR too I believe. I actually recall that they said something about how the special features would be different on the Not so Special Edition than the Super Extended Edition. And how you had to have both to fully enjoy the movie. Pffffftttt. I got my original LOTR through the Blockbuster 10 rental card and I bought the new one. I'm giving the old one to my brother. |
Crazydog | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 08:31 pm     Oh, and I know I'm a little off topic, but on the topic of Special DVDs... just saw an ad in a magazine promoting "Glengarry Glen Ross" as "One of the most anticipated DVDs of all time." Uh, not really. |
Djgirl5235 | Friday, November 22, 2002 - 08:08 am     I checked out the website to inquire about a return, and you click on returns, and print out a return address form with postage prepaid by Amazon. They refund my credit card, minus the cost of shipping. I only want one copy now, so I'm asking for the other for Christmas, I'll just have to swindle someone else into buying it for me... The one I'm buying is for my brother, but I'm just going to go to Wal-Mart and get it there for him.... |
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