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The Fellowship of the Ring is ten years old

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B

Babalu.

Member
Amazing movies. Amazing soundtrack. Amazing amazing operation.

I watched all the dvd extras on the making of the movies and my god it blew my mind how much work it took to make the movies.

All the people involved. The thousands of people.
The thousands of costumes and masks and weapons.

I still can't comprehend how an operation as big as that can come together and get it all done and oganized so perfectly.

If you haven't yet, you really need to watch the behind the scenes dvd extras where they show weta workshop and everything it took to make the costumes.

Hand making every link in all the chainmails. Hundreds of hobbit feet made.

Just an amazing trilogy that I can truly admire and respect. Especially that they didn't go all CG like the newer star wars. To me it just makes it 1000x more realistic.
 
M

Montresor

Member
I just got passed the last two chapters of the Fellowship Of The Ring while riding the subway this morning, and I love that in the third picture of the OP, it shows the giant stone statues with both of their left palms pointed outwards. I don't know why, but it just seems neat as hell to me. The book described the statues vividly and insisted the both of them had their left, their left palms pointed outward. =D

And damn, I really love the end of the Fellowship book. Boromir's lines are so exciting.
 
W

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Hawkian said:
I didn't realize there was so much criticism of the Men of the Mountain. I remember it going down pretty similarly in the book with the corsair ships and them saving the day and everything, and the plot spent a considerable amount of time explaining why they owed allegiance to Aragorn... didn't really strike me as a Deus ex Machina; at least not a poorly written one.
Click to expand...

It's not a deus ex machina, by the definition of the term. It's like how "strawman" has come to mean whatever the person throwing it out there wants to mean. They set it up beforehand, introduced the characters, explained what they were about to do, and that was that. Deus Ex machina would have had them come out and destroy the armies and then Aragon turning to his companions and going "Yeah, I totally had that planned *wink*"
 
B

Babalu.

Member
the ghost army always felt a little bleh to me also. I mean i understand they set it up at the end that they owed him a favor as the king but it just kind of seemed...

I dont know how to explain it. It just seemed TOO perfect. Without this ace in the hole they were all dead and lost but with them it was too easy to win. They just kind of pulled an invincible army out of their ass basically.

I didn't care at all for the ghost army or for what they were about.

It was much much much more impactful and heart wrenching when in the two towers the elves came to help defend the castle. I mean shit it is getting me a little teared up just thinking about that part. It was so perfect and fit well.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
Babalu. said:
the ghost army always felt a little bleh to me also. I mean i understand they set it up at the end that they owed him a favor as the king but it just kind of seemed...

I dont know how to explain it. It just seemed TOO perfect. Without this ace in the hole they were all dead and lost but with them it was too easy to win. They just kind of pulled an invincible army out of their ass basically.

I didn't care at all for the ghost army or for what they were about.

It was much much much more impactful and heart wrenching when in the two towers the elves came to help defend the castle. I mean shit it is getting me a little teared up just thinking about that part. It was so perfect and fit well.
Click to expand...

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!

Viggo, you magnificent bastard.
 
D

Dead

well not really...yet
Best movie going experience ever

Oh man, I cant believe its been 10 years.

What the fuck :|
 
W

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Babalu. said:
the ghost army always felt a little bleh to me also. I mean i understand they set it up at the end that they owed him a favor as the king but it just kind of seemed...

I dont know how to explain it. It just seemed TOO perfect. Without this ace in the hole they were all dead and lost but with them it was too easy to win. They just kind of pulled an invincible army out of their ass basically.

I didn't care at all for the ghost army or for what they were about.

It was much much much more impactful and heart wrenching when in the two towers the elves came to help defend the castle. I mean shit it is getting me a little teared up just thinking about that part. It was so perfect and fit well.
Click to expand...

Well, most of the books also relied on "ace in the holes." I mean, you drill down to the core of this complaint, it's awfully convenient that pretty much anything good happened, yeah? The eagles rescuing the party, Gandalf escaping, Merry and Pippin wandering into the right woods, etc, etc, etc.
 
J

JdFoX187

Banned
Ordered the Extended Edition blu rays last week from Amazon and completed the trilogy Monday. The four endings of Return of the King still bug me. I think it's the flashbacks of having to take a major piss while waiting for the end. I remember holding off waiting to see the scourging of the Shire. And then it's all happy days with four fucking endings. That's my major disappointment.

I remember not knowing much about Tolkien when I first heard about the movies. I as a sophomore in high school when the hype really picked up. My girlfriend at the time bought me the book, so I read through it in about a week and was hyped. Saw Fellowship twice in the theaters and stood in line at Best Buy hours before it opened to get a copy of the DVD, that I watched three times back-to-back.

The other movies didn't have a smuch impact on me. I loved the epic nature of The Two Towers, especially the opening with Gandalf fighting the Balrog. But the last march of the Ents looked off to me, as did the Men of the Mountain in Return of the King. Just something I couldn't put my finger on.

Either way, extremely impressive movies only made better by the Extended Editions. I'm still not sure why Peter Jackson made some of the changes that he did, especially having Sauromon's last stand so early in Return of the King and completely removing the scourging of the Shire. Other than that, my only complaint was the overacting of Elijiah Wood and Sean Astin. I've never been a fan of Astin's work in any movie he's ever been in, same with Wood. But they just hammed it up like no other, especially in RotK. Still, loved them and look forward to an annual watching of my blu rays.

WanderingWind said:
Well, most of the books also relied on "ace in the holes." I mean, you drill down to the core of this complaint, it's awfully convenient that pretty much anything good happened, yeah? The eagles rescuing the party, Gandalf escaping, Merry and Pippin wandering into the right woods, etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Yup, the one thing I hate in literature the most is the hero(es) facing certain doom and something magically happens to pull them out of danger. It's too much of a convenient plot cliche and essentially lazy writing. Tolkien gets a pass because the story and the world he made is so goddamn beautiful and detailed.
 
M

Montresor

Member
Error said:
Am I the only one that prefers the theatrical cuts more than the EE version of the films? The EE of RoTK is so... disjointed, I guess is the word I'd use.

I loved all the 3 films.
Click to expand...

I see that the extended collection is on sale at Future Shop and I'm thinking of buying it tomorrow.

If you have the extended trilogy on blu-ray, does it allow you to watch both the extended and theatrical versions?
 
Hoya Destroyer

Hoya Destroyer

Member
I always felt that casting Cate Blanchett as an Elf was a huge mistake.
I thought Elves were supposed to be delicate beauties? Cates not even semi attractive IMO.
 
Q

Quick

Banned
It was only recently that I've come to fully appreciate Fellowship of the Ring, and the trilogy as a whole.

I watched Fellowship of the Ring when it came out a decade ago in theatres, and I wasn't impressed. I'd say it was because Harry Potter was more interesting to me at the time (hey, I was 11 years old). I only took an interest in the series by the time Return of the King came out in theatres, where I'd like to think my taste has matured a bit more.

I've seen all three again recently, and I still have the Extended Edition to go through for the first time. I'm actually excited to watch them, but I'll have to wait a few weeks when I get some free time.
 
H

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
The title of this thread makes me feel like an old ass man at 29.

Oh, also? Best trilogy ever.

I actually haven't seen that Eastwood western trilogy yet, so I reserve the right to change my mind.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
What I love is the sense of melancholy that runs throughout the films (especially in the EE's) that really make you feel as if this age of the world is coming to an end. In FotR:EE when Sam spots the Elves leaving for the White Shores..magical.
 
V

Vincent Alexander

Member
Great thread. Great film (favorite in the trilogy). I've never seen another film even close to how many times I've seen this...13 times. I think I still have my tickets. The Two Towers I only saw a handful and Return of the King once.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
Vincent Alexander said:
Great thread. Great film (favorite in the trilogy). I've never seen another film even close to how many times I've seen this...13 times. I think I still have my tickets. The Two Towers I only saw a handful and Return of the King once.
Click to expand...

Man I must be a supernerd, then. Since I was five years old I would estimate I've seen Terminator 2 at least 150 times.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
Angry Fork said:
For some reason I can't remember much from Two Towers except the tree walking which was god awful. But when I rewatched all 3 a couple months ago I remember being most satisfied by Two Towers. I don't understand why. I want to re-watch them again now and see if it has the same effect.

Fellowship was great but 2 main parts dragged it down for me. 1. The greener pastures introduction party 'oh gandolf hahaha' running around jump for joy etc. shit which felt like it took forever, and 2. the scenes where they get to that elf castle or whatever race they are and they have behind the scenes chit chat. Particularly any scenes with Agent Smith or his daughter.

Aragorn is a boss. I wish Legolas got more screen time in terms of combat. I love bow and arrow shit and I always pick that kind of character in RPGs.
Click to expand...

*fist bump*
 
V

Vincent Alexander

Member
Scullibundo said:
Man I must be a supernerd, then. Since I was five years old I would estimate I've seen Terminator 2 at least 150 times.
Click to expand...
Sorry, sorry. I should've been more specific. I meant at theaters. Though I'm not sure what film I've watched the most altogether, or how many times. Tough choice between A Few Good Men and Naked Gun.
 
Z

ZephyrFate

Banned
Angry Fork said:
I think I would agree even though I don't like the hobbit tree talking parts. I just felt at odds about it because Two Towers doesn't seem to be talked about much compared to the others.
Click to expand...

Those parts culminate in the Last March of the Ents, which is the best part of the three films.
 
V

Vincent Alexander

Member
ZephyrFate said:
Those parts culminate in the Last March of the Ents, which is the best part of the three films.
Click to expand...
This scene was the biggest reason I saw the film multiple times. When the Ent (can't remember his name) first sees the trees all cut down, and the camera pans, with the music. My God, that scene is great.
 
D

Dead

well not really...yet
If you love the film, then you owe it to yourself to own these things:








I'll never sell my EE DVDs, even though I have them on BRD now, simply due to the stunning packaging
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
Fellowship Of The Ring is linked inextricably with 9/11 for me. I apologize for getting all NYC-GAF on you guys, but suffice to say we were all well and truly fucked up even three months after the attacks, not the least of which because we were also being dusted with anthrax at the time, apparently.

I saw FOTR on opening night in Lincoln Square, and when Frodo and Gandalf have that exchange in Moria ("So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide...") I think I kind of broke down. There's something to be said about LOTR's accidental relevance during the years in which the films were released but I don't expect it to connect with everyone in the same way. Fellowship Of The Ring will always be a special film to me, both because of the "escape" it provided and its inadvertent resonance at the time.

I must have seen it four or five times in its original release.
 
H

Helmholtz

Member
I love Fellowship. It might be my favourite movie of all time. RotK is of course also amazing, but there's just something special about Fellowship.
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
Zhaanie said:
The effects have held up extremely well imo.

My favourite film series of all time. <3
Click to expand...

The effects are really uneven, but they were uneven in 2001. So I suppose you're still correct! Random shots look strangely low-rent, while the Balrog (for example) is still magnificent. Again, though, this was the case ten years ago as well.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
The best trilogy of all time.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
Babalu. said:
the ghost army always felt a little bleh to me also. I mean i understand they set it up at the end that they owed him a favor as the king but it just kind of seemed...

I dont know how to explain it. It just seemed TOO perfect. Without this ace in the hole they were all dead and lost but with them it was too easy to win. They just kind of pulled an invincible army out of their ass basically.

I didn't care at all for the ghost army or for what they were about.

It was much much much more impactful and heart wrenching when in the two towers the elves came to help defend the castle. I mean shit it is getting me a little teared up just thinking about that part. It was so perfect and fit well.
Click to expand...

Yeah i agree with this. These are right up there with my favourite movies of all time but that's probably the main thing i didn't like.
 
R

Rabbit Lord

Member
Edmond Dantès;33116909 said:
nFi3P.jpg


This scene always gets me.


"I would have would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king.

Be at peace, Son of Gondor."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcHhlcxUkP4
Click to expand...


yes! best scene of all three movies IMO.
 
H

heyf00L

Member
Same here. The Deus Ex Machina ending to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields nearly ruined the whole thing for me. Thankfully the movies were good enough to overcome this terrible, horrible decision.

For those that don't know, in the books the invincible ghost army existed, but they only helped capture the ships (they owed the king one service, and that's what he needed done). Aragorn had the Rangers/Dunedain with him. They sailed in on the ships and together the Dunedain, Rohan, and Gondor won the battle.

The whole point of this subplot was to establish that the time of the elves was over and that men were strong. United men were supposed to win. The Deus Ex Machina victory ruins this whole subplot.
 
M

MisterAnderson

Member
Teh Hamburglar said:
Also, Ian McKellan is not a wizard. He knows what to say because its in the script, but in order to become a wizard...he first pretends what it would be like to be a wizard. And he pretends, or acts, if you will, as a wizard would.
Click to expand...

+1

heyf00L said:
Same here. The Deus Ex Machina ending to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields nearly ruined the whole thing for me. Thankfully the movies were good enough to overcome this terrible, horrible decision.

For those that don't know, in the books the invincible ghost army existed, but they only helped capture the ships (they owed the king one service, and that's what he needed done). Aragorn had the Rangers/Dunedain with him. They sailed in on the ships and together the Dunedain, Rohan, and Gondor won the battle.

The whole point of this subplot was to establish that the time of the elves was over and that men were strong. United men were supposed to win. The Deus Ex Machina victory ruins this whole subplot.
Click to expand...

This is very much what I hate about RotK. Great movie, but that really brought it down for me (even having not read the books).
 
G

Gila

Member
Christmas is the best time of the year, the coldness in the air, the warmness in the house, hot drinks by the side and not a worry for any school work. This is the perfect atmosphere to enjoy these masterpieces. I always can't wait for the day after boxing day when my brother and I just chill and put everything aside to watch the trilogy.

Thank you LOTR for making a lifelong tradition that I'll carry out and enjoy so much
 
onken

onken

Member
For the LotR buffs out there, check out the 80s animated version of FotR, it's freaking awesome. Pity the sequels never got greenlighted :(
 
L

Lion Heart

Banned
One of my best memories from high school is when ROTK came out. Everyone was up in the wee hours studying for exams the next day. My friend and I just say fuck it and decide to go see the 1am showing. Next thing you know, 10 of us are at the theatre, didn't get home til like 4am. I wouldn't change a thing from that day, fucking legendary.
 
V

Vega

Member
Fellowship is indeed the best. The last 15 minutes or so is some of the best stuff ever filmed. It had it all. A badass final battle, Boromir's death, and a heartwarming moment between two best friends.

The Hobbit can't come soon enough. I need to go back to Middle Earth again.
 
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