I just got my hands on the just released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring DVD and am excited to get home and watch it.
However, I was reading the back cover to peak my anticipation and one item on the ‘Special Feature’ list is:
Huh? What the hell did I just buy? Is this extended version going to be a Director’s Cut or will it just have more ‘behind the scenes’ and ‘making of’ crap that couldn’t really care too much about anyway?
If it’s a Director’s Cut I’m gonna be kinda pissed because I really was looking forward to getting to see this movie again tonight and I don’t relish either A) Taking the movie back and waiting however long for the Extended Edition or B) Keeping the movie and then spending another $20 (or whatever) for the Extended Version in the near future to get mostly the same thing.
Here’s a link to a review that sums things up neatly.
The 4-disc will have the extended version of the movie, with over 30 minutes of footage added back in. It will not have the theatrical version of the film. It will have original special features, but apparently not the ones on the currently released disc.
Here are the specs on the Extended Version. It is a director’s cut, with a half-hour of additional footage. The movie itself will be spread over two discs rather than a single dual-layer disc, which will mean a higher bitrate, and therefore better video. It will also include four different commentary tracks.
The other two discs will be an entirely different set of special features from this two-disc set:
DISC 3: “From Book to Vision”:
Adapting the book into a screenplay & plannin g the film
Designing and building Middle-earth
Storyboards to pre-visualization
Weta Workshop visit: An up-close look at the weapons, armor, creatures, and miniatures from the film
Atlas of Middle-earth: Tracing the journey of the Fellowship
An interactive map of New Zealand highlighting the location scouting process
Galleries of art and slideshows with commentaries by the artists
Guided tour of the wardrobe department
Footage from early meetings, moving storyboards, and pre-visualization reels
And much more!
DISC 4: “From Vision to Reality”:
Bringing the characters to life
A day in the life of a hobbit
Principal photography: Stories from the set
Scale: Creating the illusion of size
Galleries of behind-the-scenes photographs and personal cast photos
Editorial and visual effects multi-angle progressions
Sound design demonstration
And much more!
The theatrical cut that is on the two-disc set will not be included on the four-disc set. It will be the extended director’s cut only.
This is why I will be renting the current version, and saving pennies for what I am sure will be a wildly expensive, but much better version in November.
And then I get to do the same next November.
And the following November.
And I am sure a year later, there will be the extra fancy-shmancy, 65 disc special edition that I will somehow find the money to buy as well.
DMark, I was going to do the same… rent the one that came out today and wait until November to buy the big one.
However Blockbuster foiled my plans in that regard, by offering a deal I could not refuse. I paid $25.00 up front last week, which entitles me to 10 free rentals over the next 10 weeks, and my own copy of the FOTR DVD, which I’m going to pick up today. I’ll easily rent the movies (I would have done anyway), so I’m basically getting the DVD for free. So I guess I’ll have both…
Unlike most “special edition” DVDs, it was well reported* that there would be an extended version out in November. They told us how much longer we had to wait, and (in general) what extra was on the 4 disc set. So you could decide which version(s) to get.
*I believe this was when the DVDs were officially announced.
I “test drove” (I didnt actually test drive anything) a Kia, and got a certificate. You phone in the certificate # and your address, etc. and get the DVD** in 4-65 weeks. www.kia.com/lotr
My impression is that it’s all of them, Danalan. It’s a pretty large-scale, professional promotion. There’s nothing about it on the website, but in the stores there are large posters advertising the deal, and cards that you buy for it. I’m not sure when it expires, either… sorry I don’t have more specific info.
As has been mentioned, the other editions were widely reported earlier, certainly while we at Suncoast were taking reservations for the version released today. (Although we didn’t have reservation numbers for the other two until a month or two ago.) We were encouraged to push today’s edition, less in the intent to fool you all into buying both but to get really big numbers today (which we did, except none of you rat bastards decided to reserve anything else with me, or get a Replay card, or nothin’. ) Also, some odd circumstance has set it up so that while we have a rumor date for Star Wars, November 12, we don’t have a reservation number, therefore missing a lot of rollover reservations we might otherwise have gotten.
The 4 disc edition is not that much more expensive - the reservation sale price is 29.99, as opposed to 22.99 for the one today. There is a collector’s edition that will include the National Geographic documentary (and possibly an action figure, although we can’t seem to get that confirmed) that reserves at 69.99 for the Olympic nerds. Us regular nerds are mostly getting the 4 disc set. The intent is, I think, less to milk more cash out of us on DVDs than it is to put us in frenzy mode for The Two Towers.
Just my two cents. And please, next time, reserve with me, kay?
The current DVD has a preview of the “special extended edition”
I know the SE edition has:
Gift giving scene (not sure all 9 gifts)
Frodo and Sam see some elves heading for the Grey Havens
Shot of Gollum imitating a log on the Anduin
Aragorn at his mother’s grave
Quoting someone who kept rack:
Isildur puts on the ring (This went by so quick I’m not totally sure where this was. LA or Orc Ambush)
Frodo and Sam watch the elves leaving Middle earth (and you do actually see some elves)
During the scene where Boromir picks up Narsil he actually talks to Aragorn, asking him who he is. Aragorn replys “A friend of Gandalf”
Aragorn by his mothers grave
Elronds speech to the fellowship about how they need only go with Frodo as far as they are willing.
A farewell between Arwen and Aragorn.
Conversation between Frodo and Gandalf
Gandalf and Legolas look into the depths of Moria (Talk of the Balrog?)
Boromir learns to fly (with some help from Gordan) [cave troll]
A Lorien flet at night
A view of Caras Galad-hon
Gift giving
Galadriel asks Gimli what would a dwarf ask of the elves, he replies “a last look at her” (Not sure if the hair has made it or not)
Gimli in the boat looking sad.
Gollum in the river
Conversation between Frodo and Sam “You can’t help me Sam, not this time” (Not sure exactly where this is meant to be)
Brian
Personally, maybe it would be worth adding 5-10 minutes of the most crucial extra material back in, but IMO the movie is long enough. And who needs 3 discs of extras? All I care about to the point of paying money for it is the movie, and the theatrical version was plenty long enough. I’ll pick up the one that’s out pretty soon and stick with that, I think.
I have some sort of Pokemon thing going on with the LOTR dvds. I feel “I have to get them all”
I am penniless however, so I guess I will be waiting a while.
I remember reading back way back when, that there was an ultimate directors cut that was 6 hours long and included a lot of action scenes etc that would have pushed the films rating up.
Only now does it dawn on me that that was prolly crap. sniff
It was a “quote” from one of the “lead stuntmen” on the shoot.
Allegedly…
I’ve ordered the Platinum Series Extended Edition Collector’s Gift Set because I wanted the Argonath figures. It will be released on November 12th and costs $59.94 at Amazon.com. The version without the Argonath figures (and I think without the National Geographic video, but I’m not sure) is $25.99 and will be released on the same date.
Blockbuster also has discontinued their free rental for 10 weeks deal, as it was a pre-ordering promotion. Now that they’ve ordered, you only get one free rental with the purchase. Sorry folks! This ought to teach each and every one of you to read your SDMB more often!
) Also, some odd circumstance has set it up so that while we have a rumor date for Star Wars, November 12, we don’t have a reservation number, therefore missing a lot of rollover reservations we might otherwise have gotten.