Here’s a very funny “interview” with Gollum. Imagine, Gollum wanted Jackson to change the ending! (The ending is not revealed in the piece, there are no spoilers).
I’m scouring the net looking for things to read. If people get tired of me passing along things let me know.
There’s a nice interview with Sean “master of the run-on sentence” Astin at The New Zealand Herald, which has a wealth of LOTR-related stories.
He goes on with a lot to say about the filming process. There are no spoilers there.
I never expected the movies to come close to what I had imagined while reading the books. For that reason I was terrified to see the first movie - fearing the absolute worst. I don’t know how Peter Jackson did it, but I think he has captured the essence of Middle Earth shockingly well. The movie could not be better cast. Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf? Perfect! I’ve seen the first movie and the The Two Towers more times than I can count. I plan on seeing the 3rd even more times. I am PSYCHED!!! And I just know I’m going to embarass my husband by bawling my eyes out…but then, I think he will shed a few tears as well.
December 16th (I thought it was the 17th? Oh goody, a day earlier!) can’t come soon enough for me!!
It does open Wednesday the 17th, though the midnight shows are right there on the edge. Trilogy Tuesday is the 16th, so those people (me too, whee!) will get to see it at 10:00pm.
Tickets are on sale now.
Despite my criticisms of the first two films I am looking forward to seeing the final installment with enthusiasm. Peter Jackson has done a better job than I could have ever done if I had a thousand lives.
J.R.R.T. did a better job than I could have done if I had ten-thousand lives.
Trilogy tickets are long since sold out, and I’m sure the midnight showing tickets are going to go fast so I’d get them ASAP if I didn’t have 'em already.
My back is going to HATE me for doing the trilogy, but my mom loves me because I bought the tickets as her main birthday present this year. Since I’ve seen the first two, I can at least get up and move around the back of the theater when I need to during them. And bathroom breaks will not be a problem. Food, on the other hand…hmm. Must bring food.
Not all the longtime book fanatics have problems with the movies – granted, some of the changes grate a bit on my mom but she admits that they do work very well. A former music professor of mine, whose daughter is named Arwen, ADORED the first two. I’m assuming she will adore this one as well.
They’re doing a full red-carpet parade thingie over in Wellington today. Including a flyby of a 747 with the LOTR decals (:dubious:?). Linkie. Live coverage on TV on three channels. And they managed to capture a few hundred international journalists, lock them up, and ram NZ tourism down their unsuspecting throats.
Hopefully Banquet Bear can score some pics for us (being the lucky winner of the SMDB’er Living in Wellington Award).
I just got my advance tickets for a 7:00 PM show on the 17th.
Yee-haw. big grin
NZ Herald isn’t allowed to review the movie, but they come awfully close:
Brian
Below is a rather long and pointless rant talking about comparisions between the book and movie, and speculation for the third movie. It contains numerous spoilers. You have been warned.
Pardon any spelling mistakes I make, I don’t have the books on hand at the moment.
I’m not a total purist for these movies, but what really gets me is when PJ changes the movies for no real reason. I understand many changes must be made due to the fact that it’s a movie running in limited time, and still must have a flow.
That being said, there were only two times in TTT (and none in FOTR) that PJ annoyed me. First was the elves at Helm’s Deep. An impossibility. Considering the Three Hunters ran south for five days, then road to Edoras, and then went on the three day walk to Helms Deep, we know that the fort is pretty far south of Lothlorien. Even if, through some magical means of communication, the elves left for Helm’s Deep as soon as Theoden decided to go there, it only leaves them three days to travel the long journey. And they had no horses with them. Even if they are all as fleet-footed as Legolas, it’s not possible to do the journey in 3 days. Not to mention the fact that they were “renewing old alliances” or something, which never existed.
The other time PJ annoyed me was taking the ring to Osgiliath. Faramir’s “Then my life is forfeit” line would’ve worked while they were still at the hidden base (the name of which escapes me right now). Unneccesary, and again geographically it doesn’t work out. Won’t get into that right now.
I’m not totally against changes. I understand PJ dropping the “Scouring of the Shire.” I also understand dropping “Houses of Healing.” Even though it’s a great chapter, it doesn’t fit in with the larger story.
My main concern is the “Paths of the Dead.” I see so many ways to butcher this. First off, I’m afraid it won’t be shown as a neccessary but undesirable shortcut. From one review I saw (can’t pull up a cite now), it seems to be only a magical place where Aragorn gets some military reserves. I don’t know if there is any way to capture the fear of the path that is shown in the book. Also, I hope the whole group of Dunedain (30 or so) go with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli through the paths.
I’m also a little leery about the Witch King scene. In the book, Merry has a magical blade from the wights designed specifically for killing Nazgul (been awhile since I read this, open to corrections if I’m wrong). The wights were taken out. So is it just going to be the “magical” elven blade he uses? And are they going to have all the circumstances around Eowyn, or is she just going to go out there and fight the Witch King without any real explanation as to why she succeeds where everyone else fails?
Finally, I’m really looking forward to Sam in this movie. This is where his character really becomes a hero. I know they won’t change anything on Mt. Doom (PJ wouldn’t dare), but I hope the whole “Choices of Master Samwise” is kept fairly close to the book.
And while I’m ranting, please have the Black Gate opening again near the end of the battle of Pellanor Fields…
SuperNova, please read the OP before you post. Equipoise was kind enough to start a separate thread for comparisons between the books and movies- this thread is for those of us who don’t mind the changes and want to discuss ROTK without seeing Jackson’s every change questioned.
…you’d THINK that the Banquet Bear could score some pictures wouldn’t you! At least he could have actually been at the parade, but unfortunately I was driving between contracts on SH 1 at the time…and missed the whole thing… 
Some of you may know that I used to be Functions Manager at Parliament, and I ran the catering for the “Fellowship” Parliamentary Reception back in 2001… shook Mr Jackson’s hand at that one, (although he looked petrified at this large, lumbering hulk of a man charging onstage to shake his hand!!!) I had the opportunity to work this Reception as well, but a case of not reading my emails properly, and many other things, meant that I missed out on the whole blooming thing!!!
BB
Didn’t see any other thread on the first page of “Cafe Society,” and didn’t do a search. I know my rant was out of place, that’s why I put a disclaimer on top.
Honestly, I just felt like ranting. I’m sorry if I said anything that you didn’t want to know.
And here’s a link to the other thread about the changes. Sorry again. I’m just too lazy to look sometimes… :smack:
I saw ROTK at a fundraiser. I didn’t care for all the changes, which I’ve addressed in that other thread, but since this is a thread for GREAT first reactions, I’ll just say here that this is an incredible film. When Elijah Wood said it would be “better than the first two combined” he might have been overstating the case, but not by much. It trumps the action and spectacle of “The Two Towers” and recaptures the emotional warmth of “Fellowship”. (My mini review with unboxed spoilers.)
I envy those going to the trilogy screenings and will get to see the whole epic unfold in a single night. You’re in for an amazing experience – but I’m sure you already knew that.
I got tickets for the marathon the 16th! I can’t wait - PJ has done a great job with FOTR and TTT - I’m sure ROTK will blow me away too.
I’m a long-term fan of the books, and yet no complaints from me. The films are so well cast - Elijah wood is perfect as Frodo.
If you’re disgruntled about Faramir being ‘evil’ in TTT - rent the extended edition - there’s a good explanation:)
froth
Is it tuesday yet?
/Tikster
My husband and I will be there for Trilogy Tuesday too! We’re making the whole experience a Christmas present to ourselves. Even though we live in Chicago, we’re staying in a hotel the 15th and 16th. We found a great room rate at Comfort Inn just a few blocks away from the theater ($63.96 per night, which is fantastic for a Magnificent Mile-area hotel) so we can have a leisurely day before, a good night’s sleep, get to the theater early, and then only have to go a short way after the movie. Crazy as hell, yes, but it’s a special time and we’re treating it the same as we would a weekend getaway.