My friends and I were hanging out, we decided to escape boredom by catching a movie. Deciding on Austin Power’ new movie (hilarious I might add), we set off unbeknownst to me the producers of the next movie in the LoTR series had set a trap for me. You see, seeing the first movie come out I was intrigued and decided to read the book first then rent it when it came out on video. Carefully avoiding all information regarding the outcome I was well on my way to finishing the first book. In fact just past the part where our brave Gandalf was lost saving the party, or so I thought.
The trailer for The Two Towers begins by showing a clip of a battle between orcs and our assorted heros. Duh says I, the orcs wouldn’t take one licking and be done with it with their prize not far away. Then it cuts to a scene of Frodo sleeping and Gollum climbing down a cliff after his ring. No prob, knew that already. But then the bastards did the unthinkable, they showed a clip of a wizardly looking fellow with white bushy eyebrows, long white hair, and a staff. They showed Gandalf reunited with the party. You mother fucking goat cum guzzling sons of bitches. You ruined what is obviously an exciting and unexpected part of The Two Towers, for that burn in hell!
As one friend of mine said to another, in response to a “don’t spoil the movie for me!” remark: “What, 50 years wasn’t long enough for you to have read the books by now?”
As for what you saw or thought you saw in the preview (and I’ve seen it too), that’s pretty minor in comparison to what you’ll see in the film. I wouldn’t get upset.
Pshaw, anyone with a tenth of a brain would have seen “Ian McKellan” in the credits for TTT, anyway. Besides, the fact that he didn’t bite the dust isn’t NEARLY as cool as WHY and HOW.
Besides, if you haven’t read the books long ago anyway, you’re obviously an uncultured Philistine who doesn’t deserve to have things not spoiled, anyway. (A joke, a joke! :D)
In movies/book/video games of the fantasy genre no one is dead until you see a corpse and even then its’ iffy. Of course Gandalf is still alive. They wouldn’t kill off such a bad ass character just like that. Besides, the books have been out for over fourty (?) years. Maybe the film makers decided that there was a statue of limitation on that type of spoiler. So you know Gandalf is back, so what? I knew that Vader was Luke’s father, but it didn’t spoil the movie for me.
We discussed the TT trailer in Cafe Society a few weeks ago. In that thread, which you can search for but I won’t waste my time on it, I lamented that spoiler also. Having read the series more than once, it was no surprise to me. But my brother is watching the movies without ever having read the books and it will be a great surprise for him, if he avoids the trailer. I think they should not have revealed Gandalf’s return.
But, just to pique your interest, there is something different about him upon his return than before he fell. Something quite significant.
Really now, what do you want them to do? There’s no way that Ian Mckellan is not going to be involved in promoting the movie, so that fact in and of itself is going to spoil things to at least some extent. Then you throw in the fact that the books are 50+ years old, and its really not much of a spoiler. When you make a movie based on a book that is this classic and wonderful, its less about the destination, and all about the journey. And thats what this movie does so well.
I have a heathen friend (she has never read the books BLASPHAMY!) convinced it was (Gandalf seen in the trailer) is a ghost
Just like Ben and Yoda in the Star Wars trilogy.
Ok it might be wrong, but she griped about previews giving away the good parts of a movie.
So, Treis, in truth Gandolf comes back as a vision (remember the white light in the preview?) He is warning the party of Frodo’s danger.
There now I spoiled it for you happy now? huh? happy?
Don’t make me do it again ok?
I’m with Treis and Homebrew. Yes, the books have been out forever, but the “death” of Gandalf is one of the major dramatic moments of the first movie. To immediately turn around and show that he’s back in TTT dimishes the moment, IMO. It was worse when they tacked the TTT trailer to the end of LOTR earlier this year.
But, if I recall correctly, Peter Jackson set out to make this a movie for the fans - who would already know what happened to Gandalf.
quote:
“He’s only almost dead.”
-The Princess Bride
Bigger nitpick:
[Chevy Chase]
And in the latest news from middle earth: Gandalf the Grey is still dead!!! we are still trying to figure out who is this old guy in white!
[/Chevy Chase]
Treis, Gandalf coming back as Gandalf the W…, ermm, don’t want to spoil it. Anyway, it isn’t really a big thing. There is so much more that happens. Personally, I want to see the Ents.
The Ents. The Two towers is my favorite of the trilogy, and I can’t wait to see how Peter Jackson does the Ents.
Read the books first, the movie comes out in december, you got time.
“…he’s slipped from sort of to mostly dead.” (Page 250)
and, even later (because, you know, the book’s a helluva lot of fun, so scouring the pages for certain words ain’t no big tang):
“You’ve been dead.” (Page 260)
All of which, of course, comes from the book (citing actual pages from the movie might prove more difficult); but if you’re squabbling over the movie, I can’t help you. Read the book. It’s funnier. (Although, the movie? Got a few hundred chuckles out of that one. And a groping session from my date back then–so maybe life isn’t fair, but it just might be fair enough for groping.)
