In the EE, is there an option to watch the original version w/o the extended scenes, or can you only watch the old DVD to see what it was like in theaters?
No you can’t see the original version in the EE.
“I’m surprised anyone would think the EE version is a better film”
Well I guess it’s a matter of taste. I thought on the whole the extra scenes added to the character development . And I liked that they slowed the pace of the film somewhat.
I think the original version was right for the theatrical release though because the movie would otherwise have been too much for one sitting especially for people not familiar with the story.
Thanks for the egg tip HubZilla. I was too lazy to do my look around with all the screens they had in the set.
Well for me the theatrical release kinda flung you from important scene to important scene (after Frodo left) whereas the EE hit some of those interesting points in between. Now the movie was great which meant I didn’t mind being flung so much (not so with the 1st Harry Potter) but I’d still rather see some of those slower scenes.
I guess it also depends on the theater. I’ve watched the movie in some real nice theaters with reclining seats, head rests, lots of leg space and was extremely comfortable. I could have easily watched it two times in a row. If it had come out 10 years ago when small static seats that only come halfway up my back and with just a few inches between my knees and the seat in front of me when sitting properly I would have gotten antsy by thetime Moria came about.
Can anyone tell me why there’s 20 extra minutes of credits at the end? At the very end, the time feature said there was still half an hour to go. So I skip past the credits, hoping to see a Two Towers trailer, and it’s 20 more minutes of names, the “charter members” of the Fan Club. Why in the world do all these people get their names on the disc?
For an opinion of a non-hardcore fan (meaning I’ve never read the books) the EE is much better and fills a number gaps.
It was an incentive for them to join the fan club. Hey, who wouldn’t want their name (although surrounded by thousands of other names) on a DVD this big, right after the movie and not hidden behind a myriad of menus, no less?
A good reason (for fans, anyway) to actually let that play is for the music. My name isn’t on there, and I don’t know anyone on there, but I’ve let it run in the background several times, and listened a couple other times with my eyes closed, as if I were intently listening to a CD. It’s all new, but plays on the themes of the movie and was recorded especially for that section. It’s wonderful stuff!
Holy. Cow.
Color me impressed. We picked it up yesterday, and just finished watching the film itself tonight. For someone unfamiliar with the books, the extended footage in Lothlorien should help explain the change in relationship between Legolas and Gimli, in the next two films. (Provided, of course, that Jackson portrays the whole thing the way it unfolds in the books.)
The combat scenes were padded a bit, and I thought it did make them flow a little better, but the change was pretty minor, to my eyes. The exception, of course, as Drastic mentioned, is Merry and Pippin, at the end of the flick. It seemed from the theatrical release that for every orc Boromir killed three more had sudden fatal heart attacks, by the time Aragorn reaches him. The carnage on the field matches the fight a bit more, now.
Easter Eggs: Can anyone tell me why MTV did a spoof of the council scene? (HubZilla’s second egg above, on the 1st disk.) Was this something from their annual movie awards show?
I only noticed one oddity/artifact, during the scene with Galadriel’s mirror, as she’s walking across the grass past Frodo, where the video (but not the audio, I think) hangs for about half a second. It may or may not be a layer switch. Cheap player here, as well, so maybe that is the answer.
[sub]Anyone want to buy a barely-used original release? All it’s gonna do 'round here is collect dust, I think.[/sub]
At 3.5 hours, FOTR was as long as the longest theater releases are these days. REDS was the lastest movie I saw at a theater with an intermission, and that was 20 years ago. I do see that the added scenes are non-essential to plot development. But they are wonderful for the purpose of bringing the pace into line with the books and for some character development. The fight with the cave troll was much, much better. LOTR is among my all time favorite books, and every extra minute of middle earth is greatly appreciated by Sparticus. But I can definitely see that adding another half hour to the theatrical release would have ended some marriages for spouse who thought the whole thing stupid.
Yep, it was. Jack Black and SMG were the hosts. I’m sad because you don’t get that Easter Egg on the UK version. It’s hilarious.
Well I never watched the theater release and TBH I picked up the EE DVD last week based on this thread. I figured:
A. The price wasn’t so bad at $25 since I got a free ticket to TTT (about $10.00 value here in NYC)
B. The extra footage wasn’t extra to me b/c I never seen the original version.
C. I just got PS2 and so I now have a DVD player so why not get a really good DVD.
I was really impressed. I watched the movie twice and then ventured into DVD 3. DVD 4 will be watched soon. I thought the flow of the movie went very well. I know from the chapter listing in the DVD case what scenes were added (only 2 or 3, I think) and extended (almost all of them) but I don’t know exactly what was omitted. I can’t really say if the omissions hurt the original release or not. From reading this thread though I think I got the better movie.
Skeezix wrote:
For someone unfamiliar with the books, the extended footage in Lothlorien should help explain the change in relationship between Legolas and Gimli, in the next two films. (Provided, of course, that Jackson portrays the whole thing the way it unfolds in the books.)
-end quote
I am guessing you are referring to the part when Arogon tells Gimli “Now that wasn’t very nice of you” or something close to that when he insults the Elves.
I also have the PS2 TTT game so I have seen footage from the movie. I will try the Easter Egg when I get home too. About half the game has scenes from FOTR and the rest is TTT. It looks like it is going to be intense.
I got that impression m’self, while watching the EE. I’ve been a lifelong fan of the books, but I almost sprinted out of the theater when the credits ran. It could have used an intermission, possibly.
[sub]Granted, I was headed for the restroom and not the car, but…[/sub]
NYR407: Without spoiling too much for you…
Watch the council of Elrond scene, and Gimli’s line, “Never trust an elf, etc. etc.” And again, whatever it is he says to the elf in the bit you mentioned. (which was new footage) There’s also an extended scene at the gates of Moria, where Legolas makes a smart-ass comment about Dwarven architecture
Then watch the fellowship leaving Lothlorien (Lothlorien was mutilated in the theatrical release, I think about 2/3s of the additional material in the EE is through this part) and Gimli’s gift. This is where the relationship starts to change.
Now, in a couple weeks, compare Legolas and Gimli in The Two Towers. 
Thanks Skeezix, I did notice the snide remarks from them before but now that I know this it helps in understanding what you were referring to. I almost thought you meant Lothlorien was mutilated but then I realized you meant the scene was mutilated.
Were all these remarks deleted in the original? Were you led to believe that everyone was protecting the ring as a friendly unified force? I was led to believe that they were going to protect Frodo as well as make sure the others didn’t get the ring. Kind of like a checks and balances. But that was my take on it, I could be wrong.
Does anyone think that TTT will use any of this extra footage to fill in the gaps? Or will they pretend they never happened and go a different direction? I was hoping watching the extra footage would benefit me with TTT but now I am not so certain.
Damn, damn, damn, who do I know that has a dvd player? Damn, blast, argh…
Must see! Arrgh.
If you don’t have a DVD player (I’m looking at you Lissla Lissar), the Extended Edition justifies buying one all by itself.
My favorite addition/expansion was the inclusion of Boromir’s dream during the counsel. I think it really emphasized the Total Evilness of the ring.
“I was hoping watching the extra footage would benefit me with TTT but now I am not so certain.”
Well if you listen to the commentaries they repeatedly say that they hoped that people would get to watch the extra scenes in the DVD so that certain things in TTT would be clearer.
BTW the commentaries are full of interesting information (and I have mainly been listening to PJ’s track) and I haven’t even got to the extra features yet. I continue to be amazed at the lengths they went to to make a good DVD which mirrors the length they went to to make a great film. The final three movies on the final three extended DVD releases will be a landmark in entertainment history.
Thanks CP, I haven’t listened to the commentaries yet. I only watched the movie for the first time and once again when I bought it. That makes me feel better. I’ll have to listen to them soon.
CyberPundit wrote-
“The final three movies on the final three extended DVD releases will be a landmark in entertainment history.”
-end quote
I am guessing you meant the EE DVDs for each of the LOTR Trilogy movies. They’re not coming out with another “final” extended DVD for FOTR, right?
Yes I meant the EE DVD’s for each film. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if they will come out with an “ultimate” collection of all three films, once they are all out, which has even more goodies.
Slightly OT, but the best place I’ve found for tracking down Easter Eggs is http://www.dvdreview.com/html/hidden_features.shtml
Skeezix: I noticed a layer switch on the first disc but can’t remember exactly where; I just remember saying “layer switch” out loud, to the confusion of my wife. Of course, my DVD player is almost 4 years old.
There are a couple of places in ours where it pauses for just a second and then continues–a little annoying, but tolerable.
We opted for the version without the Natl Geo DVD and the bookends. The documentary is available separately for about $15 if we really want to pick it up later on.
One thing I noticed on the rebate form is that they want the original UPCs off the packages. I’ll try it with a photocopy and see if I get the rebate. I don’t want to cut up the boxes to get the codes off them.