News from Tunali in India, who last reported that LOTR’s run in the theatres was was being extended. But the news is better than that, even: “Well, it has continued for two weeks. That means that the movie has been in the theatres for 7 weeks!! That is quite an achievement for a Hollywood movie in India! The books are too selling like hot cakes. I can see many people roaming around with copies of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT. Tolkien has the whole of Bombay under his spell! You had told me that the LOTR:FOTR was ‘hacked into bits in India’? Well I am extremely pleased to inform you that the UNEDITED version has finally hit the screens! Here are the parts that was chopped off the movie:
1. Frodo’s ride with Gandalf in the cart. In the previous version Frodo would suddenly disappear and Gandalf would directly reach the gates of Bag End!
2. Bilbo’s conversation with Gandalf at Bag End. A considerable amount of the friends’ conversation was lost to the scissors of the editor here!
3. Gandalfs research on the ring Well, this certainly must have disapointed Gandalf!
4. The drinks at Bree. You don’t expect the hobbits to leave the inn without a drink, do you?
5. Walk with Strider in the jungle. It seemed that the hobbits were not at all bothered about skipping their ‘second breakfast’.
6. Saruman and Gandalf in the garden at Isengard. And I wondered when Saruman said his famous dialouge, “Your love for the Shire has clearly slowed your mind.”
7. Felling of the trees at Isengard. Sorry, Treebeard!
8. Stay at Rivendell and discussion betw. Gandalf and Elrond Earlier Frodo was dragged to the council of Elrond as soon as he awoke!
9. The part with Aragorn, Boromir and Arwen at Rivendell No mention of Aragorn as Isildur,s heir throughout the movie!
10. Lothlorien No Celeborn. No ‘lament for Gandalf’. The whole beauty of the place was lost.
11. Finally, at the banks of the river, the part where the fellowship realises that Frodo and Boromir was missing.
That was quite a lot,wasnt it? However none are complaining that they could not understand the movie anymore!
