For anyone who wants to know all the spoilers, the TTT Photo Guide seems to be the book: it includes practically a scene-by-scene overview of the whole film. Aunt Dora Baggins from the TORn discussion boards wrote up this spoiler-filled summary for us. [More] Here be Major Spoilers!!
Day: November 9, 2002
Aunt Dora Baggins from the TORn discussion boards recently bought the Two Towers Photo Guide.
For anyone who doesn’t mind MAJOR SPOILERS, this seems to be the book: it includes practically a scene-by-scene overview of the whole film.
One does note, though, that it doesn’t conclusively list either the ending or the beginning … at least, I’ve received no mention of plunges or anything like that.
There’s are more than 100 photographs included – all of them straight from TTT, and nearly half of them new!
I’d also like to thank everyone who has been sending in information about the Photo Guide and Visual Companion, your e-mails are read and appreciated.
It feels like we’ve received a billion e-mails over the last few days about the Visual Companion, the Photo Guide, The Making Of The Movie Trilogy. You may have read my previous post about some of the spoilers in the Visual Companion here. You also may have read some of the equally interesting Topps Cards spoilers that Xoanon posted here.
Dora writes: Last night I bought the Two Towers Photo Guide and also the Visual Companion at Barnes and Noble. The Photo Guide is subtitled “The Illustrated Story from the Epic New Line Cinema Film”.
It begins with Frodo having nightmares about what has happened to him in FOTR; this must be the way they fill in the background.
Then we see Pippin and Merry in the hands of the orcs. Then Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas find the leaf brooch, and meet Eomer.
The Uruks are attacked by the Riders, and Merry and Pippin escape, chased by Grishnakh and rescued by Treebeard. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas meet Gandalf in Fangorn. Gandalf summons Shadowfax.
Frodo, Sam and Gollum are in the Dead Marshes. Flashback to Smeagol killing Deagol. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas enter Edoras.
Wormtongue ‘comforts’ Eowyn for the death of Theodred. Gandalf frees Theoden, who literally throws Wormtongue out. Saruman sends the Dunlendings and Wild Men to burn the villages of Rohan.
Theoden decides to evacuate his city to Helms Deep. Aragorn turns Theodred’s horse free. (The horse is named Brego and is battle-shocked.)
Gollum leads Frodo and Sam to the Black Gate. They see an army of Easterlings marching out. Grima returns to Saruman and tells him Theoden will send refugees to Helms Deep. Saruman sends his orcs to attack.
Elrond calls a council of elves in Lothlorien. He tries to convince the elves to take part in the fight. He confronts Arwen about her decision to stay in Middle Earth with Aragorn.
The refugees are attacked by warg-riders. Frodo and Sam are captured by Faramir, who vows to take the Ring to Minas Tirith and complete Boromir’s quest. Merry and Pippin go to Entmoot. The refugees arrive at Helms Deep.
Theoden tells Eowyn that Aragorn fell to the warg riders. Aragorn is badly wounded but alive. He struggles to his feet and finds the horse Brego has come to rescue him. He rides to Helms Deep and tells Theoden that thousands of Uruk Hai are coming. There are only three hundred defenders. Legolas feels betrayed by his people.
Faramir takes Frodo and Sam and Gollum to Osgiliath. Sam convinces him not to take the Ring, and to let them go. Faramir leads them to the old sewers where they can elude the orcs. From his tower, Saruman watches the Ents destroy Isengard’s defenses.
After the battle at Helms Deep (which the picture book kind of skips), Gandalf says, “The Battle of Helms Deep is over. The Battle for Middle Earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little hobbits, somewhere in the wilderness.
The Visual Companion has more about Helms Deep. In a blinding lightning storm, 10,000 Uruk Hai arrive at Deeping Wall. The defenders watch from the wall. Eowyn and the refugees retreat into the caves. Explosives blast a hole in the wall, and Aragorn is thrown off the wall.
The Uruk Hai assault the gates with a battering ram. Kind Theoden leads a heroic charge out the gates. Eomer arrives with 2000 cavalry. The orcs are trapped and flee to the entrance, which they find blocked by Ents and Huorns. (No mention of Arwen. Whew!)
Ringer Spy Bellerophon sends in some amazing photos from today’s special Two Towers edition of the Sunday Times Magazine. !!!SPOILERS!!! [More] Updated! (and again!)
Here are some amazing photos from Ringer Spy Bellerophon of tomorrow’s Sunday Times Magazine special edition on The Two Towers. An advertising flier for the magazine that was being handed out in Leicester Square today can be found here: [More]
Update:
This snippet from Ringer Spy Taniwha:
Regarding the photo from the Sunday Times with crew … it looks like Osgiliath to me; the ‘wet set’ on Peterkin St in Taita, as previously seen in the Evening Post photos. You can see these here and here. I was there the day the EP shot those, and read the shoot pages for the day…
And more commentary on that image from Ringer Spy Telcontar:
Firstly, the soldier far left is in Gondorian armour — it looks Elvish, but the shoulder “scales” are seen on earlier Gondor regalia (and notice the Tree on his breastplate). Secondly, the man labeled “Viggo stand-in” is not a stand-in, he’s an Ithilien Ranger (notice similar outfit on Faramir pics). Lastly, and most importantly, the orcs are NOT Isengard orcs — they are Mordor orcs (totally different facial features, clothing, etc). To be fair, we didn’t claim that they were Isengard orcs or Uruks 😉 – Ara
So it may be Osgiliath (since we have no idea what scenes PJ has written there) or Minas Tirith during the siege — although I would doubt that considering the “ruined” look of the architecture. So a battle scene in Osgiliath between orcs, rangers, and soldiers from Minas Tirith? Sounds good to me.
Okay, we’re a little late this week, but better than never, eh?
Book Four: Chapter VIII: The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
It’s a turning point in the quest to destroy the Ring, most notably with Gollum making an irrevocable decision. However, Frodo also makes one of his own. [More]
Okay, we’re a little late this week, but better than never, eh?
This weekend we resume our chats with a critical chapter of the The Two Towers …
Book Four: Chapter VIII: The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
The action presents the turning point in the quest to destroy the ring, most notably with Gollum, but also with Frodo affirming his determination to continue irrespective of his chances, and events elsewhere.
Courage is found in many places, and Frodo somehow seems to discover his at Minas Morgul.
Join us this weekend for one or even both of our scheduled chats! Remember, the Hall of Fire is not only for Tolkien scholars but for novices too, and it’s one of the few chances available to talk Tolkien with your fellow fans.
Upcoming Discussions:
Nov 16-17 Everything about Palantiri.
Nov 23-24 TTT Bk 4 Ch9: Shelob’s Lair
Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
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