JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread

[tifosi77]

You probably won't watch it....... for cartoon related reasons?

From what I remember in the summer, Éowyn is the narrator of the story. Whether that just means V/O or if she'll appear on-camera (er, the cartoon version of on-camera) I don't know.

[nocera]

You probably won't watch it....... for cartoon related reasons?

That’s correct. I also still haven’t watched the Amazon show so maybe I’m just a LOTR films fan. I’m not sure yet since the Tolkien Cinematic Universe is just getting started.

[nocera]

I just got the three Andy Serkis narrated LOTR audio books. Looking forward to getting into those next week, although since I only commute twice a week, it might take a few years to get through them all.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Serkis did a great job with those, no surprise there. Return of the King's runtime is a little misleading, as he reads the notes/appendices. I didn't find it useful listening to that. The format isn't really suited to that.

[tifosi77]

But the appendices are the source material for Rings Of Power!

[tifosi77]

But seriously, I bought those audiobooks................... a while a go? Sheesh. Just where I am sitting right now I have at least four devices I could use as platforms to listen to them, but instead I search for websites with the word "Éowyn" so I can copy-paste it here with the E that has the little line over it.

[eddy]

Big Christmas gift this year was entire family heading to blossom music center for Cleveland orchestra doing live music for two towers on the big screen. It's going to be amazing. I'm very excited after how much fun my daughter had for fellowship there last year

[Kane]

But seriously, I bought those audiobooks................... a while a go? Sheesh. Just where I am sitting right now I have at least four devices I could use as platforms to listen to them, but instead I search for websites with the word "Éowyn" so I can copy-paste it here with the E that has the little line over it.

Alt+0201

[tifosi77]

[DigitalGypsy66]

THR is out with a big new report about Amazon Prime original productions, which Amazon has been throwing money at for years now, yet they arguably have yet to produce the sort of brand-defining programming that other streaming services have, despite a few hits here and there from The Boys to Jack Reacher.

A chunk of the piece centers on the Lord of the Rings’ Ring of Power series, developed mainly because Jeff Bezos wants his own Game of Thrones for the service. But despite a billion dollar spend, the report says that just 37% of viewers finished the entire series. That is…quite bad.

Amazon is trying to say otherwise. Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke pushes back on the idea:

“This desire to paint the show as anything less than a success — it’s not reflective of any conversation I’m having internally,” she says. She goes on to pump up the second season: “That’s a huge opportunity for us. The first season required a lot of setting up.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/ ... -very-bad/

[tifosi77]

Never mind any of the existing source material (like, ignore that in their version of Middle-earth Sauron is Galadriel's fault). Just view it as a narrative TV show..... it was terrible. GoT was never my thing, but just imagine if that show started with the final 10 episodes, in terms of the quality of the story, and the kind of things the plot was asking its audience to buy into, the dialog, etc. There would not have been a season 2.

Just on its own insulated merits, Rings Of Power was shamefully bad given the resources available.

[DigitalGypsy66]

OK, so it might get worse:

[tifosi77]

So........... they did have showrunners on set the first time? Yikes.

[eddy]

Hahaha

[nocera]

I think I'm finally ready to listen to the LOTR audio books. I have all of the Andy Serkis versions. Would you guys recommend starting with The Hobbit or diving straight into Fellowship?

[the wicked child]

You don't need to read the Hobbit first so go with whichever you are more interested in.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Yeah, I'd start with Fellowship imo

[tifosi77]

Straight to Fellowship with you.

I actually just got all three of those audiobooks for our recent trip, and I have to say Serkis does an amazeballs good job with it. You kind of lose track of what a great voice he has in his own right, so hearing his reading of this material was excellent.

Also, each individual book is like 20+ hours of content. So..........

[nocera]

Thanks gents. See ya in a few months.

[DigitalGypsy66]

The last book runtime is deceptive, because he reads the appendices...which I skipped through lol

[nocera]

Most of my audiobooks thus far have been about 11-12 hours. I have listened to a couple 6 hour ones and those fly by. 11 hours feels right. 22 hours is daunting.

[tifosi77]

And remember, it's three books. So the runtime is actually like 60+ hrs to get the whole story.

[DigitalGypsy66]

I listened to them on a 3 month trial on Audible. The cool thing is that even though the trial is long expired, those books are still in my library. Not sure if that's a Prime thing or not.

[tifosi77]

It sounds like you just transacted for those books. The trial was for the service, but 'purchases' (whether money or redemption) are for eva eva. I think 2 of the 3 LOTR books were my trial options as well.

[DigitalGypsy66]

You get 1 coin per month, and those are purchases. So I used the 3 coins for the three books. I also have a Thrawn book in there too. An earlier trial I guess. And I'm eligible for another trial lol