JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread

Postby **tifosi77** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:05 pm

And I mis-typed: It was not Shelob that consumed the light of the trees, it was her mother, Ungoliant..

Postby **tifosi77** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:10 pm

Maybe season 2 will have more focus on Numenor. I could see them using the British Isles as a closer approximation to that.

In the same way that NZ was perfect for Middle-earth, I've always kinda felt like Ireland and Wales we perfect for Númenor.

Postby **nocera** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:18 pm

I just finished a rewatch of the Extended Editions after recently watching the theatricals not too long ago. I'm surprised that I'm saying this, but the theatricals are objectively better movies.

Postby **eddy** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:20 pm

I just finished a rewatch of the Extended Editions after recently watching the theatricals not too long ago. I'm surprised that I'm saying this, but the theatricals are objectively better movies.

What makes you think that? I doubt i will ever watch the theatrical versions again.

Postby **nocera** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:27 pm

I just finished a rewatch of the Extended Editions after recently watching the theatricals not too long ago. I'm surprised that I'm saying this, but the theatricals are objectively better movies.
What makes you think that? I doubt i will ever watch the theatrical versions again.

Mostly it's pacing. the extendeds drag a lot, especially RotK. I like most of the extra scenes from a superfan standpoint, but from filmmaker standpoint, the extendeds are bloated. The extra scenes are often redundant or are inconsequential to the greater plot (the ring's destruction). If a scene can be completely removed and the story can move ahead without it, it's an unnecessary scene. There are a ton of those and it's pretty clear to see why they weren't in the theatrical cut. It goes beyond just getting it down to a reasonable runtime.

I still love the extendeds, though, and that's what I'll watch when I want the full LOTR experience.

Postby **tifosi77** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:44 pm

I pretty much agree with nocera's take. While the extended cuts are the more thorough experience and the way I'll likely always watch the movies, the theatrical versions are 'better'.

Postby **eddy** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:51 pm

I've only seen the theatrical of fellowship and towers once in the theater. I guess because I've always just watched extended, I don't really know. I watched the extended versions twice last week.

Postby **the wicked child** » Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:21 pm

I like the theatrical version of ROTK better... although I like some of the scenes, most are very clear why they were cut.

FOTR, the EE enhances things, but not really required.

I vastly prefer the EE of TTT, although I do understand why they made the cuts that they made.

Postby **eddy** » Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:42 am

My wife and daughter have been introducing me to memes. They say it takes way too long for me to get them, but this made me laugh. Apologies if this isn't a mem

Postby **eddy** » Wed Sep 22, 2021 2:11 pm

https://art.sideshow.com/art-prints/the ... r=501321US

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:48 am

Because the original story didn't have strong female characters

Postby **Kane** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:55 am

The masses likely have no idea about Luthien, Galadriel, and how many others, lol. Sucks that the twitter rage machine needs catered to like that.

Postby **tifosi77** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:38 pm

This is not a hill to eyeroll, lads. There are like five named female characters in LOTR,

The gateway drug for most people viewing the series is going to b the LOTR/Hobbit movies. Of the named females in LOTR, 2 of them (Lobelia and Rosie) have no real on-screen dialog, and 1 (Arwen) was massively rewritten for the movies to give her a more active role in the narrative. The main female characters in The Hobbit don't appear in Tolkien's telling of his story at all; one because John Ronald hadn't yet invented her, the other because John Ronald never invented her and was ultimately created by PJ and Philippa Boyens.

Tolkien's female characters from YT and FA are indeed stronger, but they are also more or less obscure to a wider audience. There's obviously Galadriel (who is one of only I think 3 characters to emerge from the YT age and live through to see the events of the War Of The Ring), and Luthien (who is referenced obliquely in the movies). Tolkien's writings on the SA are pretty much nil. So that's Arwen (who is totally different on-screen), Galadriel, and Eowyn. All unquestionably badass........ but that's it. 10 hours of storytelling, 3 good female characters, who to my recollection never interact with another female.

And don't get me started on Easterlings and the Haradrim.

Postby **nocera** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:54 pm

I guess can see a case, especially in the films, that there are strong female characters. But let's not pretend that Middle Earth is at all diverse.

Postby **the wicked child** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 4:03 pm

I don't have a problem with them adding female characters, as long as they are allowed to actually be strong female characters and not what they did with Tauriel in the Hobbit.

Although it did spawn this great meme...

Postby **tifosi77** » Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:10 pm

Postby **nocera** » Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:09 pm

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of the Lords.

Postby **eddy** » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:54 am

Amazon better not try and make this more like an edgy GoT like they did with Wheel of Time.

Postby **meecrofilm** » Thu Jan 20, 2022 3:33 pm

I just finished a rewatch of the Extended Editions after recently watching the theatricals not too long ago. I'm surprised that I'm saying this, but the theatricals are objectively better movies.

I also watched them over the break, and agree. The "issue" with the extendeds (if you see it as such), is that they're just the fan service versions with everything they filmed shoved in, with no regard to pacing. It's not like they only took select deleted scenes to toss in. Also, there are moments, like in RotK theatrical, where when Aragorn is asking the army of the dead to join him, it cuts away during his "what say you," giving it a bit of a cliffhanger effect. Then once the battle for Gondor is in full effect, you get that surprise entrance by Aragorn and the crew and see the dominance of the army of the dead for the first time. Excellent editing. All of that is lost when you know they are on board and already see them in action prior like in the extendeds.

I like the extended fleshing out of Faramir in particular. I do think there is a superior version of the films that lies somewhere in between the theatrical and the extendeds, but if I'm asked which versions are superior from a filmmaking standpoint, it's definitely the theatricals.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Mon Jan 31, 2022 5:57 pm

Postby **eddy** » Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:02 pm

Individual here

Postby **nocera** » Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:11 pm

Those are great. I still hate the name. Is Weta involved at all?

Postby **eddy** » Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:11 pm

Good question. I have no idea

Postby **tifosi77** » Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:26 pm

The physical production moved from NZ to Ireland or UK, I believe. Wouldn't preempt Weta involvement, of course. I've heard that when members of The One Ring.net (TORN) have asked for interviews with Weta staff, Richard Taylor, etc, they've said they can't comment on the Amazon show. Whether they are being cheeky or genuinely under NDA terms re their involvement still isn't clear to me.

Postby **tifosi77** » Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:35 pm

One thing: Presumably that's Sauron in the lower right. If so, that gauntlet is completely different from the armor he's shown wearing during the FOTR prologue showing the casting and gifting of the rings.

And top row, middle. Looks like an Elven blade/dirk/stabby implement; I have already set aside funds to buy the inevitable Sideshow replica piece.